International Consultants to Support Capacity Building on Women, Peace and Security Agenda in the South Caucasus

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 supports state and non-state partners towards the achievement of substantive gender equality in Georgia and the South Caucasus region. In line with international and national commitments, UN Women works on the levels of policies and legislation, institutions and communities, to achieve transformative results for increased gender equality and greater protection of the rights of women and girls. UN Women is providing technical and financial support to partners worldwide, working in several thematic areas: Women, Peace and Security (WPS) is one of them.

This work includes supporting the implementation and localization of national WPS commitments through the participation of grassroots women’s organizations, internally displaced and conflict-affected women in local planning and budgeting, alongside capacity development for local authorities. Since 2024, the portfolio has also expanded its support for women’s leadership and participation in climate action and disaster risk reduction.

In September 2026, with support from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), UN Women commenced two projects on women for sustainable peace and WPS leadership and defence capacity. The projects support women’s meaningful participation and leadership in peacebuilding, dialogue and recovery, and strengthen institutional capacities to implement WPS commitments within partner institutions across the South Caucasus region. Activities under these projects are tailored to national priorities, institutional mandates and opportunities for engagement.

Reporting to UN Women WPS Programme Specialist Georgia Country Office, under the overall guidance of the UN Women Country Representative in Georgia and Liaison for the South Caucasus, the International Consultants will provide technical and coordination support during inception phase of the two projects and its early implementation. The assignment builds on already conducted WPS scoping and stakeholder mapping exercises and supports the project team in the preparation and testing of selected capacity-building initiatives, as well as provision of expert support to regional learning events. It will help connect women’s expertise with opportunities for meaningful participation in peace and security processes and support women’s leadership and professional development within defence institutions.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

The Consultants will provide technical and coordination support during the inception and early implementation of the two projects, including stakeholder capacity needs assessments and further scoping consultations with relevant institutions, women peacebuilders, women-led organizations and technical experts. The assignment will include supporting the design, organization, delivery and refinement of selected pilot initiatives and capacity-building activities to advance women’s meaningful participation in peacebuilding and recovery, women’s leadership within defence institutions, and institutional capacities to implement WPS commitments. This may include adapting selected institutional tools, in cooperation with specialised experts. The Consultants will also provide substantive and organizational support to regional learning events and technical exchanges, prepare concept notes, agendas and learning materials, support facilitation and participant coordination, and document feedback, lessons and recommendations. Findings will inform project workplans, inception reporting and follow-up activities. All activities will reflect national priorities, institutional mandates and context-specific opportunities for engagement.

Deliverables

Deliverable	Expected completion time (due day)	Payment Schedule
Workplan	7 December 2026 (5 Working Days)	40 %
Stakeholder engagement and further scoping and mapping report	21 December 2026 (10 working days)
Technical and coordination support to at least two learning events, with materials and reports	26 February 2027 (20 working days)	60%
Supporting implementing partners according to their partner agreements	12 March 2027 (10 Working Days)
Draft inception report; Final technical report, recommendations and handover	30 March 2027 (5 working days)

Consultants’ Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy, with occasional travel to Armenia and Azerbaijan.

As part of this assignment, there will be up to 3 trips to project sites.

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 WPS agenda and its application to women’s meaningful participation, peacebuilding and institutional capacity development.
• Ability to design and facilitate tailored capacity-building activities, pilot initiatives and peer learning for diverse participants and institutional contexts.
• Strong coordination and stakeholder engagement skills, including organizing technical events with sensitivity, sound judgement and respect for confidentiality.
• Strong analytical and drafting skills to produce clear reports, learning materials and evidence-based recommendations within agreed timelines.
• Strong knowledge of conflicts and overall political context of the South Caucasus region is an asset.

Required Qualifications:

Education and Certification:

• Advanced (at least Master) degree in one or more following areas: gender/women’s studies, human rights, sociology, law, international development or related field.
• 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 7 (seven) years with master’s and 9 (nine) in case of bachelor’s degree of progressively responsible professional experience in GEWE and/or WPS, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience in WPS coordination, conducting scoping exercises, stakeholder mapping or capacity needs assessments, and translating findings into programme strategies, policy recommendations or practical tools is required.
• Proven experience in designing and delivering capacity-building activities and facilitating consultations with government institutions, civil society, women’s organisations and technical experts is required.
• Experience in coordinating technical events or peer-learning exchanges and supporting the design, piloting or adaptation of programme initiatives is required.
• Experience supporting women’s participation in peacebuilding and dialogue, women’s leadership development or WPS implementation within defence institutions is an asset.
• Experience working with UN agencies, international organisations or government counterparts, particularly in politically sensitive or conflict-affected settings, is an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of any other UN official 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.