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. As such, UN Women is mandated to lead the UN system-wide coordination of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda, as elaborated inter-alia through UN Security Council resolutions—1325, 1820, 1888, 1889, 1960, 2106, 2122, 2242, 2467, and 2493. To this end, UN Women works with governments, UN partners, and civil society around the world to support women’s participation and influence at all levels of decision-making to prevent and resolve conflict, to protect their rights during and after conflicts and to ensure that their specific needs are addressed during repatriation, resettlement and for rehabilitation, reintegration, and post-conflict reconstruction.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), over 20,000 survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) continue to face structural and societal barriers to justice, psychosocial and medical support, and social inclusion. Despite numerous national and international initiatives, a holistic, survivor-centered response remains insufficient.
The UN Joint Project “Women Lead the Way toward Peace and Security in BiH”, funded by the UN Peacebuilding Fund and jointly implemented by UN Women, UNFPA and IOM, has underscored the urgent need to reinforce services for survivors and to challenge harmful social norms perpetuating stigma.

To contribute to this JP finding, UN Women is leading a dedicated initiative under the global Gender Justice Platform, a framework seeking to advance gender equality and close the global gender justice gap by enhancing women’s access to justice and supporting women’s meaningful participation and leadership in the justice and security sectors. The said initiative will:

• Support access to psychosocial and legal services for survivors, particularly in rural areas;
• Build institutional capacities of justice and security sector actors on CRSV and survivor-centered approaches;
• Contribute to Launch a nationwide awareness campaign to address stigma and promote positive narratives;
• Strengthen knowledge and learning on CRSV.

To coordinate the effective implementation of this short-term but high-impact intervention, UN Women seeks to hire a CRSV Specialist consultant with proven expertise in gender, transitional justice, and multi-stakeholder coordination to lead the implementation and engagement with implementing partners.
The objective of this consultancy is to build upon the interventions under the UN Joint Project “Women Lead the Way toward Peace and Security in BiH”, and address critical gaps in justice, support, stigma reduction by enhancing survivor support mechanisms and raising awareness to foster accountability and inclusion, in line with UNSCR 1325 commitments. In doing so, the consultancy will contribute to the broader goal of improving the lives of CRSV survivors and advancing the implementation of UNSCR 1325, through the two project activities under the global Gender Justice Platform: survivor-centered service delivery (Activity 1) and the stigma-reduction awareness raising and dialogues (Activity 2), working closely with national CSOs, media, and institutional stakeholders.
The consultant will be reporting to WPS Programme Specialist, under the overall guidance of the Programme Management Specialist, and they will collaborate closely with the UN Women WPS Field Coordinator and UNFPA WPS Project Manager to ensure consistency and alignment with UN programming on WPS, and will be supported by WPS Programme Assistant, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.
The consultant will be responsible for submitting a workplan at the start of the assignment, followed by monthly progress reports and short updates after each key event or activity. A final consolidated report will be required at the end of the assignment, summarizing achievements, challenges, and lessons learned. All reports must be submitted in English and in electronic format. Outputs will be reviewed and approved by UN Women, and payments will be made monthly based on satisfactory performance and timely submission of required reports.

EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATION:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in gender studies, law, human rights, international relations, 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. (pass/fail)
• A project/programme management certification would be an added advantage. (5 points)

EXPERIENCE:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible work experience in coordinating and implementing development or human rights projects in the area of WPS, gender justice, or transitional justice is required. (50 points)
• At least 5 years of experience working with civil society organizations and CRSV survivors in BiH is required. (25 points)
• Experience in designing or facilitating trainings, workshops, or multi-stakeholder events is required, with at least 5 similar activities implemented. (20 points)

The selected consultant will be responsible for the following:

1. Activity Coordination and Implementation

• Develop a detailed implementation plan and schedule, monitor progress against workplan, identify risks and delays, and propose mitigation measures.
• Coordinate with responsible parties (CSOs, media, experts) to ensure timely and quality delivery of planned outputs.
• Provide regular updates and draft input for internal progress reports, briefs, and donor reports.

1. Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Coordination

• Organize and facilitate regular coordination meetings with responsible parties and relevant institutions.
• Support the development, finalization, and implementation of partnership agreements (including necessary documentation).
• Serve as liaison between UN Women and national/local stakeholders involved in CRSV response, including justice and security sector actors, survivor associations, and campaign partners.

1. Technical Support and Capacity Building

• Support the design and delivery of trainings for justice and security actors on survivor-centered and intersectional approaches to CRSV.
• Support the design and delivery of a WPS Summer School session on transitional justice approaches to CRSV.
• Review and advise on campaign materials and workshop content to ensure alignment with WPS principles and ethical storytelling.
• Provide technical input into survivor support service design, ensuring they are trauma-informed and rights-based.
• Coordinate the Peer Review Group for a forthcoming UN Women publication on the prosecution of CRSV in BiH.

1. Facilitation of Events and Campaign Rollout

• Organize two multi-stakeholder workshops/dialogues and facilitate community engagement sessions as part of the campaign.
• Support the launch of the awareness campaign in collaboration with media partners and ensure survivor voices are ethically included.