National Consultant: Engaging peer networks of women migrant workers on ending violence against women (Thailand)

Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations (UN), works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls, the empowerment of women, and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security. Placing women’s rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates the efforts of the UN system to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. UN Women provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

UN Women has a universal mandate that encompasses a normative, an operational/programmatic as well as a coordination role, all of which are closely linked with its unique structure. At the core of its mandate, UN Women plays a leading role in supporting governments in delivering on their gender equality and empowerment of women (GEEW) commitments in the SDGs. UN Women is mandated to stimulate and coordinate improved action on gender equality across the whole UN system.

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is the most pervasive human rights violation worldwide. Nearly thirty years after the Beijing Platform for Action, despite unprecedented momentum and commitments to eliminate VAWG, the prevalence has remained persistent. Global emergencies, crises, and conflict have further intensified the drivers and risk factors of VAWG, and digitalization has exacerbated existing forms of violence and led to the proliferation of new forms. In addition, women and girls are likely to experience a continuum of gender-based violence at all stages of migration, which might include bullying as well as verbal, physical and psychological abuse, and sexual violence (including trafficking for sexual exploitation), which are rooted in deeply entrenched gender inequalities and harmful social norms.

The PROTECT project promotes decent work, while reducing the vulnerabilities of women and children in the context of labour migration, through preventing and responding to violence against women and children, human trafficking and migrant smuggling. It will do this through addressing legal, policy and institutional gaps and barriers faced by women migrant workers and children in the context of labour migration, including in the protection of fundamental principles and rights at work, as well as enhance their access to safe, orderly, and regular migration by addressing violence, exploitation, forced labour and trafficking. To ensure that laws and policies can be effectively implemented, the project will enhance national and regional capacities and mechanisms for policy implementation, service provision and prevention efforts, while empowering women migrant workers and children to strengthen their voice, knowledge, skills and access services.

The overall objective of the PROTECT project is to protect the rights of women migrant workers and migrant children in Southeast Asia. Within this project, UN Women is leading approaches regarding ending violence against women and girls in Thailand and Cambodia.

The specific objectives of the PROTECT project are:

• To strengthen national legislation, policies and regional frameworks for the protection of women migrant workers, children and other vulnerable groups in line with international standards.
• To improve national and regional prevention and protection mechanisms to reduce rights’ violations against migrant women, children, and other vulnerable groups, including victims of trafficking and smuggled migrants.
• To increase the access of at-risk groups, women migrant workers and children to information, social and legal services, counselling, and association to prevent abuse, exploitation, harassment, violence, and trafficking in human beings.

This consultancy is focused on ending violence against women and girls, with a focus on migrant women and the development/strengthening of existing peer networks in selected communities, by supporting peer networks of women migrants to strengthen availability of safe spaces, dissemination of information and advocacy efforts related to gender equality, anti-discrimination and violence against women on one hand and by supporting peer networks to identify priorities, advocate for and contribute to implementation of strategies for safe migration (including in destination countries and upon reintegration), on another hand. Among others, the consultant will offer support for women migrant workers in selected areas and online to access VAW services. Also, this consultancy will build on the learnings and findings from the Safe and Fair Action Brief on Women Migrant Workers and Mental Health. The brief highlighted that peer networks provide a vital link to information, support and community engagement for many women migrants. When they are well-functioning, peer networks in countries of origin and destination have been found to provide a forum for women migrant workers to come together, share experiences, provide mutual support, and learn together about risks, mitigation measures and support services, including for rights violations, violence and trafficking in a safe and trusting environment.

This consultancy will contribute to the PROTECT project Output 3.3: Increased capacities and opportunities of peer networks of women migrants to advocate for and contribute to safe migration strategies and policies in destination countries and upon reintegration under the overall objective to protect the rights of women migrant workers and migrant children in Southeast Asia.

The consultant will be reporting to Programme Specialist– Ending Violence against Women, UN Women, Regional Office for Asia and Pacific (ROAP), and will be supported by Programme Associate, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.

Description of Responsibilities

The Consultant will be responsible for:

• Developing a comprehensive workplan with details consisting of the area of implementation, methodology used, action plans and planned timeline for the assignment. Deliverables include:
  • Detailed workplan submitted.
  • Concept notes, agendas and documents for activities, workshops and materials on women migrant peer networks submitted and approved.
• Supporting peer networks of women migrants to strengthen availability of safe spaces, dissemination of information and advocacy efforts related to gender equality, anti-discrimination and violence against women.
  • Get in touch with the existing peer networks of women migrant workers at regional level, both offline and online, based on the work undertaken under Safe and Fair and identifying the new ones if applicable
  • Conceptualize and facilitate the capacity building plan and trainings with women migrant workers and their peer networks- online and offline.
  • Coordinate with migrant peer networks and frontline service providers on the provision of response services and referrals for women migrant workers and GBV survivors.
• Supporting migrant peer networks online and offline to identify priorities, advocate for and contribute to implementation of strategies for safe migration (including in destination countries and upon reintegration); access to VAW services and programmes; and by leveraging their knowledge, expertise and voices in decision-making fora.
  • Conceptualize and facilitate community dialogues, workshops with peer networks, community leaders, CSOs and practitioners on VAWG/GBV and migration.
  • Collaborate with and empower women migrant peer networks on community outreach and advocacy interventions.
  • Build a data base of women migrant workers who are actively engaged in the development and strengthening of the peer networks in the region;
  • Support organizing regional and national events pertaining to 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence campaign and International Migrants Day etc. by providing substantive inputs to the Concept Notes and ensuring that women migrant workers actively engaged in the peer networks’ building are represented in the high-level forums and meetings as speakers;
• Prepare progress and final reports concerning the assignment with recommendations.
  • Progress reports and final reports submitted.

The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks and deliverables:

1. Draft and finalize detailed work plan for the assignment.
2. Map existing peer networks of women migrant workers online and offline at regional level (at least 2 countries).
3. Contribute to the development of Concept Note/s, Agenda/ and documents for activities, workshops and materials concerning women migrant peer networks. Subsequently, incorporate feedback received from UNW in the notes and/or agenda for finalization and submission.
4. Coordinate and liaise with key stakeholders for community dialogues, including peer networks, community leaders, CSOs and practitioners addressing VAWG, for advocacy efforts and capacity building in the area of VAWG/GBV and migration.
5. Facilitate workshops/consultations/dialogues, including peer networks, community leaders, CSOs and practitioners addressing VAWG, online and offline, for advocacy efforts and capacity building in the area of VAWG/GBV and migration.
6. Provide technical support, capacity building and trainings for women migrant workers, their peer networks and women migrant leaders, online and offline.
7. Collaborate with and empower women migrant peer networks on community outreach, awareness raising and advocacy interventions on access to services, gender equality and violence against women and girls within the context of migration, online and offline.
8. Coordinate with migrant peer networks and frontline service providers on the provision of response, assistance and protection services for women migrant workers and survivors of gender-based violence, including cross-border referrals, online and offline.
9. Prepare a final report on the assignment, achievements, learning, and noting recommendations.

Please note this is a part-time consultancy, and the candidate will be paid on the actual days worked, with a daily rate for the completion of the tasks mentioned above. The candidate is expected to work up to 150 working days, from May 2025 – April 2026 and may raise invoice per month.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy. The consultant may be required to travel on official mission, and in such case, the travel will be arranged by UN Women and the costs will be covered based on UN Women travel policy.

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:

• Excellent analytical skills;
• Excellent writing skills;
• Strong knowledge of Asia and the Pacific processes and systems;
• Strong networking skills;
• Strong inter-personal skills, communicate effectively with both internal and external partners; Ability to work in a highly pressured environment.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values

Required Qualifications

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or higher in the field of Gender Studies, Social Science, Law, Political Science, international relations, or related development fields; A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of relevant work experience, with demonstrable expertise in VAW response services and systems.
• Experience working on violence against women related to migrant workers is an asset.
• Experience of working with government, NGOs and civil society organizations related to ending violence against women is required.
• Experience in producing knowledge products such as reports and/or policy recommendations is an asset.
• Skills and experience facilitating learning sessions such as workshops and seminars is an asset.
• Previous experience of working with UN Agencies is an asset
• Experience of working with government, NGOs and CSOs, on violence against women in Thailand is an asset.

Languages:

• Excellent writing in English and Thai required

How to Apply

Interested candidates are encouraged to submit an electronic application no later than 28th April 2025, Midnight New York Time

• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page)
• P11 form https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2022-07/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form-en.doc

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.

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