National Consultant to provide expert support in the development of a package of amendments to the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan on marriage and family matters, Astana, Kazakhstan, UN Women

Background / Context

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 supports UN Member States in setting international norms and standards for achieving gender equality and works with governments and civil society to design the laws, policies, programmes and services needed to implement these standards. UN Women actively promotes the equal participation of women in all spheres of life, focusing on five priority areas: strengthening women’s leadership and participation in society; ending violence against women; engaging women across the full spectrum of peace and security matters; advancing women’s economic empowerment; and placing gender equality at the centre of national development planning and budgeting. UN Women also coordinates efforts to advance gender equality across the entire UN system.

In 2025, UN Women in Kazakhstan, with the support of the National Commission for Women’s Affairs and Family-Demographic Policy under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Culture and Information, launched a new project for 2025–2027: “Promoting the enhancement of women’s legal protection, the strengthening of gender equality, and the full participation of women in the socio-political life of the country.”

The new project builds on results already achieved and aims at long-term change in the empowerment of women and girls in Kazakhstan. It provides for the coordinated capacity-building of national partners, deeper integration of gender perspectives into budgeting and policy-making processes, and the consistent application of a gender approach in the legislative sphere. The project includes measures to strengthen the role of the National Commission, improve monitoring and update the Concept of Family and Gender Policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2030, enhance media coverage of gender equality issues, and support women’s participation in political life and their professional development.

The project is aligned with national priorities and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular SDGs 5, 16 and 17, and supports the implementation of the Concept of Family and Gender Policy of Kazakhstan until 2030. It contributes directly to the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2026–2029, especially Priority 1: promoting inclusive, accountable and gender-responsive governance.

Within the framework of the project, and in close cooperation with key national partners — the National Commission for Women’s Affairs and Family-Demographic Policy under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (hereinafter – National Comission) and the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan — an agreement was reached to establish a Centre for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (hereinafter, the “Centre”) in Almaty. Under the auspices of the Centre and in cooperation with national partners, UN Women in Kazakhstan will, in 2026, implement initiatives aimed at strengthening gender equality, protecting women’s rights and improving legislation in line with the international obligations of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In the context of the ongoing constitutional and legislative reforms, improving the regulatory and legal framework on marriage and family, ensuring the equality of spouses, protecting the rights of women and children, strengthening the institution of the family, and harmonizing national legislation with international human rights and gender equality standards has become particularly relevant.

In this regard, UN Women intends to engage a national consultant to provide expert and analytical support in developing proposals and recommendations for improving the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan on marriage and family matters.

Objective: to provide expert support in analysing the current legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan on marriage and family matters, identifying legal gaps, and preparing a package of proposals for amendments and additions to the relevant normative legal acts, taking into account international standards, the principles of gender equality and non-discrimination, and the national context and constitutional reforms in the country.

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Project Manager (or Programme Specialist) of UN Women in Kazakhstan, who will be the point of contact on contractual and payment issues.

Description of Responsibilities / Scope of Work

Under the guidance of UN Women, the consultant will perform the following tasks:

• conduct a comprehensive analysis of the current legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the area of marriage and family, including the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 518-IV “On Marriage (Matrimony) and Family” dated 26 December 2011 and other related normative legal acts;
• analyse existing legal gaps, challenges and issues of law-enforcement practice;
• review international standards and recommendations in the field of human rights, family protection, and the rights of women and children, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Beijing Platform for Action, as well as relevant international experience;
• conduct a comparative analysis of selected international practices and approaches in the regulation of family and marriage relations;
• hold consultations and working discussions with respective UN agencies(OHCHR, UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women etc), the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the National Commission for Women’s Affairs and Family-Demographic Policy under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan as the key national partners for expert support under this initiative;
• where necessary, engage with other interested state bodies, the expert and academic community, and representatives of civil society;
• prepare analytical and legal recommendations for improving the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the area of marriage and family;
• develop a package of proposals for amendments and additions to the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan on marriage and family;
• prepare a draft comparative table and a draft law of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the proposed amendments and the corresponding justification;
• develop a consultative regulatory policy document for the draft Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan on improving legislation in the area of marriage and family, in accordance with the requirements of the Rules of Legislative Work of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
• present the proposed amendments to the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan at a working validation meeting with the participation of experts and representatives of state bodies, organized by UN Women and national partners;
• finalize the prepared documents, taking into account the comments and remarks of UN Women, the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan and other interested parties;
• participate in meetings, working-group sessions and working meetings with representatives of state bodies, the expert community and other interested parties within the framework of efforts to improve the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the area of marriage and family, preparing expert proposals and recommendations on the issues discussed.

UN Women support to the national consultant:

UN Women Kazakhstan, within its capabilities, will provide support to an National Consultant to facilitate communication within the project National Consultant will work under the direct supervision of UN Women Kazakhstan Programme Specialist and Project manager. Final report should be submitted in Russian.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

National Consultant is expected to work in Astana and participate in meetings with UN agencies, Ministry of Culture, National Commission or other relevant partners.

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:

• Strong knowledge of the national legislative framework and of legislative drafting processes in the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Expertise in family law, human rights and gender equality
• Strong analytical and legal research skills
• Ability to prepare analytical materials, draft normative legal acts and expert opinions
• Ability to engage effectively with state bodies, national partners and other key stakeholders

Education:

• University degree (higher education) in law, international law, public administration, gender equality or a related field.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible professional experience in the development, analysis or improvement of legislation.
• Experience in family law, human rights, gender equality or social policy is required.
• Experience in preparing analytical materials, draft normative legal acts or expert opinions is required.
• Experience in engaging with state bodies, international organizations or the expert community is an advantage.

Languages:

• Excellent written and spoken Kazakh and Russian is required.
• Excellent written and spoken English 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.