UN Women: National Consultant Gender Coordinator – Ending Violence Against Women, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh

Job Code Title : Gender Coordinator – Gender - Ending Violence Against Women 

Organization : United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN WOMEN)

• Direct Supervisor : State Lead and Policy Specialist (MP)   
• Duty Station : Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India
• Type of Contract : SSA
• No. of positions : One
• Duration: 3 months (Renewable subject to availability of Funds and performance)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 and the diverse gender as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

Achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment is an essential element of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – the roadmap to a more equal, just, peaceful, and sustainable world. Two of the key areas of concern are ending violence against women and the economic empowerment of women. It is expressed in targets and indicators of SDG 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls) SDG 11(Sustainable cities and communities) and SDG 8 (Promote inclusive and sustainable development, decent work, and employment for all). Progress toward it depends not only on the adoption of a set of public policies by governments, but also on the existence of an enabling environment and active engagement of relevant stakeholders.

UN Women promotes integrated approaches to ensure that all women and girls live a life free from all forms of violence. Gender-based violence (GBV) exists in various settings, including domestic, public, private, online, and workplaces and affects all genders, women and marginalised genders bear a disproportionate burden of its impact. Violence against women (VAW) is a grave violation of human rights with far-reaching consequences for women, their families and communities worldwide. It has tremendous costs from greater strains on health care to legal expenses and losses in productivity. The violence cuts across boundaries of age, class, caste, sexuality, sexual expression, education, marital status, race, culture, and geography, among others.

UN Women in India has played a pivotal role in supporting governments in eliminating violence and discrimination against women by demonstrating models of that work to prevent and respond to violence. Efforts towards promoting gender equality are multiplied through partnerships with governments, women’s organisations, civil society, academia, private sector, and the larger UN ecosystem. Initiatives range from strengthening legal frameworks and specific national and sub-national actions, including enhancing service provisioning for survivors of violence, and supporting prevention at the grassroots level. UN Women India supports strengthening data collection and knowledge generation on VAW, facilitating new learning on the issue. Through advocacy and communication campaigns, UN Women India works to transform gender norms, behaviours and attitudes that perpetuate gender inequality.

UN Women, India is working with the Government of Madhya Pradesh to build on the State’s work to advance gender-responsive public spaces for women and girls. This has been catalysed by the Mayor’s initiative in July 2025 to prioritise women’s safety as a core  agenda as also prioritized in the  Regional Forum on Safe and Inclusive Public Spaces in March, 2025. These milestone events brought together municipal leadership, law enforcement, planners, civil society, and community representatives to chart actionable pathways for safer, more inclusive urban environments. The discussions underscored the need for a dedicated resource to coordinate multi-stakeholder engagement, institutionalise women’s safety audits, and ensure that community voices, especially those of women and girls, shape public space planning and interventions. This initiative aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and will be implemented in partnership with local authorities, civil society, and community leaders.

Within this context, UN Women seeks a service of a National Consultant - Gender Coordinator in Madhya Pradesh to support the planning, coordination, implementation, capacity development, research, documentation, and knowledge-sharing of best practices within the framework of the project. By fostering integrated approaches and engaging stakeholders, UN Women aims to create a spaces free from violence and discrimination, advancing equality for all genders.
 

Roles & Responsibilities:

Under the direct supervision of the State Lead and Policy Specialist (MP), and the Government designated Supervisor, the National Consultant - Gender Coordinator will undertake key tasks, and any additional responsibilities as assigned. The National Consultant - Gender Coordinator will be guided by the National Country Programme Manager EVAW for design and programmatic support.

 
Key Responsibilities of the National Consultant - Gender Coordinator:

Strengthening Coordination And Gbv Efforts:

• •    Provide technical inputs from a gender perspective on policies and programmes.
• •    Support planning, coordination, and implementation of program components related to women’s safety in public spaces.
• •    Facilitate women’s safety audits, community consultations, and data collection in coordination with relevant stakeholders.
• •    Engage with women and girls, including marginalized groups, to document lived experiences and ensure their participation in planning and monitoring processes.
• •    Liaise with municipal departments, law enforcement, transport authorities, and other partners to support gender-responsive urban interventions.
• •    Monitor implementation of safety interventions (e.g., lighting, CCTV, transport safety, helpdesks, infrastructure changes).
• •    Organize and facilitate capacity building programs and sensitization workshops for service providers, municipal staff, and community members.
• •    Maintain detailed project documentation, reports, and M&E records.
• •    Compile and prepare briefing, presentation materials, background information and documentation for meetings related to gender domain.
• •    Facilitate convening CSOs and women's groups to strengthen the feminist ecosystem;
• •    Support in generating mass public awareness in vernacular languages on issues and the impact of violence against women and girls;
• Research and Documentation-
• •    Undertake mapping and documentation of district nodal Departments, CSOs and other stakeholders who are actively involved in the feminist ecosystem on GBV at the state level;
• •    Prepare reports to capture key issues, achievements, and challenges of capacity development initiatives. 
• •    Analyse and interpret gender situation/issues and data through conducting research and prepare reports.
• •    Provide coordination and support in development of IEC and training modules for training and capacity building. 
• •    Coordinate and manage evidence generation and dissemination of knowledge resources.

Facilitating Training and Capacity Development of relevant constituents on GBV:
•    Coordinate with the nodal Department and training institutions to conduct state-specific training needs assessment as per level of officials, develop capacity building strategy and training calendar for GBV.
•    Compile/develop training tools, manuals, and other resource material on GBV 
•    Support in establishing a Community of Practice at the district level to design a robust project;
•    Build capacities of NGO partners on issues of gender and ending violence against women.
•    Provide oversight and conduct monitoring visits (as needed) for any other projects implemented in the state

Any other duties as assigned by supervisor.
 

Key Performance Indicators:

• Programmatic 
• •    Women’s safety audits completed in identified 79 wards of Jabalpur
• •    Stakeholder consultation reports and feedback documentation.
• •    Capacity building sessions conducted with pre- and post-training analysis.
• •    Knowledge and communication materials prepared (case stories, briefing notes, presentations).
• •    Final report summarizing key outcomes, learnings, and recommendations.
• •    Coordination with District administration and local bodies to ensure alignment and ownership of interventions.
• •    Supporting in convening multi-stakeholder dialogues to review findings and agree on action plans.
• •    Facilitating engagement of varied stakeholders, for example, government departments, academia, youth, urban planners, and police.

Administrative 
•    Work plan with specific timeline and methodology.
•    Monthly action plan to be submitted on the last working day of every month 
•    Monthly progress reports highlighting the status of monthly deliverables and completion status 
•    Content for institutional reports as and when requested for 
•    Submit Quarterly progress reports 
 

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 Competencies:

•    Excellent knowledge of Gender   
•    Strong knowledge of the region
•    Excellent networking skills
•    Ability to interact with donors, identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising.
•    Ability to perform qualitative and quantitative policy research.
•    Ability to advocate and provide policy advice.
•    Excellent analytical skills.
•    Ability to write policy papers, speeches, briefings.
•    Strong knowledge of programme development, implementation, results-based management and reporting
 

Qualifications & Experience:

Education:

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Social Sciences/Economics/Social Work /Gender Studies/Public Administration/Policy or related 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:

•    At least 5 years of experience at the national/state level working with development projects including hands-on experience of design, implementation and monitoring/evaluation of projects, preferably on Gender Based Violence, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.
•    Some experience of working with national/ state governments on gender issues, preferably on Gender Based Violence. State specific experience will be preferable.
•    Experience of undertaking assessments, policy analysis and capacity building of government officials.
•    Proficiency in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.). working knowledge and experience with GIS, mobile data tools, or digital safety audit tools is an asset.

Language:

•    Proficiency in English; good command over Hindi is desirable.

Evaluation And Selection Criteria:

The evaluation process for selection of the candidate will be based on the following assessment:

• Interview – 80 Points
• Writing Samples – 20 Points

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.