Gender in Humanitarian Action and WPHF Programme Analyst, Home-Based with travel

Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, 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.

UN Women has been working in Afghanistan since 2002 (as UNIFEM until 2010). Afghanistan has emerged as one of the world’s most complex emergencies. The crisis dynamics in the country are multi-layered, and Afghanistan’s people are facing the devastating effects of successive decades of conflict, increasing poverty, economic decline and natural disasters, all of which are amplified by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As per the Humanitarian Response Plan 2022, 24.4 million Afghans – more than half of the country’s estimated population of 42 million – are projected to be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2022, with a staggering 55 per cent of the population expected to face crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity. In this context, Afghan women and girls face unique vulnerabilities as gender inequality is interwoven with conflict dynamics and humanitarian needs. Women’s fundamental rights have been continually threatened since the Taliban takeover and the limited gains made over the past twenty years are now at risk of being erased – and at worst regressed. The contest around gender norms remains at the center of the political, peace and security landscape in Afghanistan, putting women and girls at the frontlines of this crisis. Responding to this crisis, the UN Women Afghanistan Country Office is consolidating its programming under the humanitarian-peace-development nexus, anchored in the Country Office Strategic Note (2018-2022), and continues to deliver on its triple mandate across four thematic areas: 1) Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action; 2) Ending Violence Against Women; 3) Women Economic Empowerment; and 4) Women’s Leadership and Participation. UN Women Afghanistan thereby capitalizes on its five Sub-Offices located in the provinces Balkh, Bamyan, Herat, Kandahar and Nangarhar respectively, and is part of inter-agency Joint UN initiatives, such as the Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (STFA).

The Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) is a global partnership that mobilizes resources to support local women’s organizations in fostering peace and responding to humanitarian crises. WPHF works to amplify the voices of women in conflict-affected regions, ensuring their active participation in peacebuilding and humanitarian efforts. In Afghanistan, WPHF plays a crucial role in empowering women-led organizations and strengthening gender-responsive humanitarian action.

To enhance operational efficiency and ensure smooth implementation of WPHF activities, UN Women seeks a full-time consultant to provide technical, coordination and administrative support to the WPHF portfolio. Reporting to the GIHA Programme Manager and in close coordination with the WPHF Secretariat, grantees, and key partners, the consultant will be home-based but will have regular missions to Kabul to facilitate in-person coordination with stakeholders, and other related tasks outlined in the TOR.

Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work

Support the development and planning of WPHF initiatives

• Contribute to the design and planning of WPHF-funded programme activities, ensuring alignment with UN Women’s humanitarian strategy and WPHF operational modalities.
• Assist in identifying needs and opportunities to strengthen women-led organizations’ leadership in humanitarian action.
• Draft background notes, briefs, and concept notes to inform programme planning and donor engagement.
• Support the development of tools and templates to guide partners in proposal design, implementation, and monitoring.

Assist in the implementation and coordination of WPHF-funded programmes

• Support the preparation and tracking of annual workplans and budgets.
• Assist in coordinating day-to-day programme implementation and partner support.
• Contribute to the preparation of donor reports and internal documentation by compiling and analyzing programme results, outputs, and challenges.
• Liaise with the operations team to support timely implementation and procurement processes related to WPHF.

Provide technical and coordination support to women-led organizations

• Maintain regular contact with WPHF grantees to provide technical assistance and address operational challenges.
• Support capacity-building efforts for implementing partners, including organizing training sessions and knowledge-sharing opportunities.
• Assist partners in applying results-based management (RBM) principles and monitoring frameworks.

Support monitoring, reporting, and compliance efforts

• Track progress of WPHF grantees through review of narrative and financial reports.
• Support the organization of field monitoring visits and contribute to drafting mission reports.
• Assist with the preparation of quarterly and donor reports, ensuring alignment with expected results and gender-responsive indicators.

Contribute to knowledge management and communication

• Assist in documenting lessons learned and promising practices from WPHF-funded projects.
• Support the organization of advocacy and visibility events related to WPHF initiatives.
• Contribute to the development of communication and knowledge products that highlight the impact of WPHF investments.

Support other tasks as required for quality implementation of WPHF and UN Women’s humanitarian programming.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a full-time home-based consultancy. As part of this assignment, there will be multiple missions to Afghanistan. The consultant is expected to work during working hours in Afghanistan (Sunday – Thursday, 9:00 – 17:00 Kabul time).

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

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 Values and Competencies Framework:

Functional Competency

• Good programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills
• Good knowledge of Results Based Management
• Strong understanding of administrative and financial procedures within the UN system.
• Ability to gather and interpret data, reach logical conclusions and present findings and recommendations
• Good knowledge of gender equality in humanitarian action and/or disaster risk reduction

Required Qualifications

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, human rights, gender/women's studies, international development, or a related field is required
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A project/programme management certification would be an added advantage

Experience:

• At least 2 years of progressively responsible work experience in development programme/project implementation, coordination, monitoring and evaluation, donor reporting and capacity building is required. 
• Experience working in humanitarian settings and understanding of humanitarian coordination mechanisms is an asset.
• Experience implementing gender in humanitarian action projects is an asset.
• Experience working with women led and local organizations is an asset.
• Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required;
• Knowledge of Pari or Pashtu language is an asset

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.