UN Women: International Consultant on Essential Social Services in EVAW Context, Home-based, Turkiye

Background:

UN Women exists to advance women’s rights, gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. As the lead UN entity on gender equality and secretariat of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, UN Women shift laws, institutions, social behaviours and services to close the gender gap and build an equal world. UN Women’s partnerships with governments, women’s movements and the private sector coupled with its coordination of the broader United Nations translate progress into lasting changes.

In Türkiye, in line with its Global Strategic Plan 2026-2029 and Country Strategic Note (2026-2029), and the overall UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Türkiye (UNSDCF) (2026-2030), UN Women works towards the overarching goal of “Women and girls including those at greatest risk of being left behind fully exercise their human rights, enjoy a life free from violence and discrimination, and lead, influence and benefit from sustainable and inclusive socioeconomic development towards the advancement of gender equality in Türkiye”. UN Women works in four thematic areas: (i) governance and participation in public life; (ii) women’s economic empowerment; (iii) ending violence against women and girls; and (iv) women, peace and security, humanitarian action and disaster risk reduction. In line with its coordination mandate, UN Women promotes coordination and coherence across the UN system to enhance accountability and results for gender equality and women’s empowerment, including through joint programmatic and advocacy actions and initiatives, standardized tools and guidance and services to strengthen the relevant capacities of the UN system.

Towards these goals, UN Women implements programmes and projects that aim to advance gender equality, improve women’s access to opportunities, rights, and services in political, social, and economic life, and combat gender stereotypes, discrimination, and violence, as required by international and national legal and policy commitments. UN Women collaborates with numerous partners – central and local level government authorities, civil society organizations, including women’s organizations and platforms, academia, private sector companies, and other UN agencies. It commits itself to the Leave No One Behind principle, by supporting targeted actions to remove the obstacles that marginalized and vulnerable groups of women face in accessing their rights and to promote them as agents of change. UN Women Türkiye has been at the forefront of support for Türkiye’s continuous commitment to implement international norms and standards on women’s rights, and the enhancement and implementation of relevant national legal and policy frameworks. The Country Office has been operational in Türkiye since 2012.

In the area of ending violence against women and girls (VAWG) and other harmful practices, UN Women supports enhancing services on VAWG prevention and protection through strengthened capacities of institutions, improved data management, better coordination, and empowerment of women and girls who are at risk of and/or are survivors of violence. Furthermore, to address the underlying root causes of VAWG and harmful practices, UN Women Türkiye works towards favourable social norms, attitudes, and behaviours at the individual, community, and institutional levels that advance gender equality and women’s empowerment. Currently, UN Women in Türkiye has a diverse and growing portfolio on Ending Violence Against Women (EVAW) which is led by a Programme Specialist, under the overall guidance of the UN Women Country Director and the direct supervision of the Deputy Country Director.

Within the scope of “Restoring and Strengthening the Preventive and Protective Services in response to Violence Against Women affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye (2024-2027)” project, UN Women aims to restore and strengthen both the physical infrastructure and technical capacities of VAW service provision through a survivor-centred and rights-based approach that contributes the empowerment of women. The project aims to establish good models that can then be scaled up to become part of the overall MOFSS response to violence against women in their areas of competence under the scope of the project.

The Impact/ Overall Objective of the Project is to improve the protection of women and children’s rights in earthquake affected regions in Türkiye. The project comprises of the following 1 Outcome/Special Objective and 4 Outputs:

• Outcome/ Specific Objective 1: To enhance access to quality prevention, protection and empowerment services for women and girls at risk of and survivors of VAWG, in the earthquake-affected provinces and provinces receiving migration from the affected region, in line with national and international standards. Specifically, under Outputs 1.2 and 1.3, the Project focuses on enhancing social service delivery capacities women’s shelters, Violence Prevention and Monitoring Centres and Social Service Centres in Türkiye, all structured under the Ministry of Family and Social Services (MoFSS), targeting survivors and persons at risk of VAWG. Activities structured under mentioned Outputs aim to enhance technical service delivery capacities, through a variety of basic and advance levels of training interventions, knowledge products and dialogue platforms. Under the direct supervision of the Programme Specialist and the overall guidance of the Deputy Country Director, International Consultant on Essential Social Services in EVAW Context is expected to support Project design, implementation of interventions and monitoring and evaluation of Project results at Output and Outcome/Specific Objective levels, informed by international good practices on essential EVAW services. Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work Under the supervision of UN Women, in collaboration with the Project Implementation Team including national and international consultants, and in close coordination with MoFSS, the International Consultant on Essential Social Services in the EVAW Context will be responsible for the following tasks:
  • Output 1.1. Reconstructed women shelters for survivors of violence and their accompanying children in selected earthquakes affected provinces and migration receiving ones, in line with the national and international standards and good practices.
  • Output 1.2. Strengthened and refurbished shelters and violence prevention and monitoring centres for survivors and those at risk of violence against women and girls, and their accompanying children in selected earthquakes affected provinces and provinces that received migration to meet the increasing needs.
  • Output 1.3. Increased technical knowledge, skills and enhanced tools of the public personnel providing and coordinating violence prevention and protection services at the institutions of Ministry of Family and Social Services and Law Enforcement institutions in the target provinces.
  • Output 1.4. Increased access of survivors to opportunities supporting their socio-economic empowerment and well-being, including in the post-shelter period.
  1. Provision of technical expertise to strengthen capacity development interventions and knowledge products on essential social services in the EVAW context in line with international standards and good practices. This will include:
     1. Preparation of technical comparative briefs by (i) conducting desk-based comparative analyses of international and regional good practices on essential social services in EVAW, with due consideration of national legal, institutional and service delivery context, with a focus on case management, psychosocial support, women’s shelters, violence prevention and monitoring centres, counselling centres, and similar specialized service institutions; and, (ii) producing concise technical briefs highlighting models, standards, and lessons learned that are relevant to the project context and MoFSS institutional mandate
     2. Delivery of technical input through online sessions by designing and delivering online technical sessions for MoFSS personnel and relevant stakeholders on international and regional experiences, standards and good practices related to EVAW-focused social services at international and regional levels, including presentations on the functioning, coordination mechanisms, and service models of women’s shelters, violence prevention and monitoring centres, counselling centres, and similar specialized service institutions as well as rights-based, survivor-centred, and empowerment-focused service delivery approaches.
     3. Provision of technical inputs to training and knowledge products by (i) reviewing and providing substantive technical feedback on training agendas, curricula, manuals, guidance notes, and other knowledge products developed under the Project, particularly on survivor-centred and empowerment-oriented service delivery, professional supervision and support mechanisms, referral pathways, and case management in EVAW contexts; and (ii) contributing written inputs to ensure consistency with international EVAW standards and ethical principles, with due consideration of national legal, institutional and service delivery context.
     4. Support to the finalization of project deliverables by providing technical quality assurance and consolidation support to deliverables developed by national consultants and programme partners, including reviewing drafts, proposing revisions, and ensuring coherence across outputs, to ensure coherence and alignment across Project results and national operational context.
     5. Technical support for the development and implementation of results monitoring tools related to EVAW-specific social service delivery under the Project’s Specific Objective/Outcome and Outputs 1.2 and 1.3, in line with programme logical framework. This will include: Payments will be made based on the provision of timesheets and supporting deliverables approved by the UN Women Programme Specialist, who shall confirm Consultant’s work is completed and eligible for payment. The total duration of the contract is a maximum of 25 working days until 30 September 2027. Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel This is a home-based consultancy. Presence on UN Women premises will not be required, work will be undertaken remotely. No travel requirements are envisioned under this assignment. In case of an unforeseeable travel, the travel arrangements will be handled by UN Women as per the UN Women rules and regulations. Mandatory Training Courses The Consultant shall complete all the mandatory and other required UN training courses and modules on time. The certificates shall be submitted to the supervisor and the HR focal point. Multiple Contracts It is permissible for a Consultant to be engaged by UN Women if the individual has a contract with another employer, provided that there is no actual or perceived conflict of interest and that the performance of the required services for UN Women is feasible (for example, where both contracts involve a part‑time work schedule). Where the Consultant holds a full‑time contract with another employer, eligibility will be subject to the Consultant’s ability to present formal acknowledgement or approval from their primary employer confirming that engagement with UN Women is permitted. Candidates unable to provide such acknowledgement will not be considered eligible. Taxes The consultant is responsible for payment of any taxes that may be due on the gross fees received from UN Women for their services. UN Women has no liability for taxes, duties or other payments payable by the Individual Contractor on remuneration made under the contract. Competencies : Core Values: Core Competencies: Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: Functional Competencies: Required Qualifications Education and Certification: Experience: Languages: Fluency in English is required. 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.
        1. Provide technical guidance for the design or refinement of feedback and service experience assessment tools for survivors benefiting from EVAW-specific social services, including appropriate indicators, ethical safeguards, and survivor-centred data collection approaches;
        2. Support the development or adaptation of assessment tools to measure changes in women’s self-esteem, decision-making capacity, and perceived empowerment as a result of accessing EVAW-specific service
        3. Advice on tool implementation and assessment of results by providing analytical guidance on the interpretation of monitoring data, identification of trends and limitations, and use of findings to inform programme learning, reporting, and technical discussions and coordination with MoFSS and the Project Team.
        • Integrity;
        • Professionalism;
        • Respect for Diversity.
        • Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
        • Accountability;
        • Creative Problem Solving;
        • Effective Communication;
        • Inclusive Collaboration;
        • Stakeholder Engagement;
        • Leading by Example.
        • Technical credibility in ending violence against women and essential services
        • Strong analytical and comparative analysis skills
        • Research and evidence synthesis
        • Expertise in international EVAW standards and norms
        • Technical writing and knowledge product development
        • Capacity development and adult learning (EVAW context)
        • Monitoring, results measurement, and indicator development
        • Survivor‑centred and empowerment‑oriented programming expertise
        • Data analysis, interpretation, and programme learning
        • Technical quality assurance and coherence of deliverables
        • A master’s degree or equivalent in women’s studies, social services, psychology, human rights, social policy, or a related field is required.
        • A first-level university degree in women’s studies, social services, psychology, human rights, social policy, or a related field, combined with an additional two years of qualifying professional experience, may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
        • At least seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience providing technical or advisory support on essential social services related to ending violence against women and girls (EVAW), including work grounded in international norms, standards, and good practices, is required.
        • Demonstrated experience in policy-oriented analysis or technical advisory work related to social service delivery systems, psychosocial support frameworks, case management models, and/or coordination mechanisms in EVAW contexts and in line with the international normative framework is highly desirable.
        • Demonstrated experience in monitoring, evaluation, or results-based frameworks for EVAW essential services, including the design or adaptation of assessment tools and indicators aligned with international standards, is highly desirable.
        • Demonstrated experience in providing capacity development support, such as technical guidance, training design, or advisory input, to governmental and non-governmental EVAW social service providers (including women’s shelters), across diverse country or regional contexts, is highly desirable
        • Experience in producing policy relevant knowledge products, technical briefs, guidance notes, or comparative analyses, and in facilitating technical briefings or learning sessions for international or multi-county audiences, is desirable.