UN Women: G20 Rapporteur for the Empowerment of Women Working Group

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.

South Africa will assume the G20 Presidency from December 1, 2024, through November 2025, a crucial period as it is approximately five years before the deadline of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda. During the launch of the Special Edition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Progress Report on April 25, 2023, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres highlighted the urgency of the situation, noting that only 12% of the SDG targets were on track, progress on 50% was weak and insufficient, and more than 30% of the SDGs had stalled or regressed. To meet the 2030 SDGs deadline, a paradigm shift and practical solutions are necessary. The next five G20 Presidencies must prioritize accelerating progress on the attainment of SDGs. South Africa, placing inclusive economic growth at the center of its national agenda, will host the G20 Presidency under this priority, continuing the commendable work undertaken by Brazil in 2024. The Government of the Republic of South Africa, represented by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, as Chair of the Empowerment of Women Working Group, will host the 1st Empowerment of Women Working Group Technical Meeting on February 17-18, 2025.

UN Women is soliciting the services of a consultant to support this first technical working group meeting. The priorities guiding the consultant's work are closely aligned with UN Women's Strategic Plan 2022-2025, which focuses on governance and participation in public life, women's economic empowerment, ending violence against women and girls, and women, peace and security. By integrating these priorities, the consultancy aims to achieve outcomes that not only promote the empowerment of all women and girls but also support the broader goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This alignment ensures that the efforts of the G20 working group are both comprehensive and impactful, addressing the root causes of gender inequality and fostering systemic change.

The consultant will be reporting to the Programme Analyst: Generation Equality Forum, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.

Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work

UN Women needs the services of a rapporteur for the Technical Meetings of the Empowerment of Women Working Group

The following services is required:

• Recording of the meeting procedures for the duration of the meeting 
• Draft minutes of meeting procedures to be provided each day. Provide a daily summary of discussions outlining key outcomes and outputs for the day: 1 -2 pages
• Summary of daily meeting procedures must be provided to DWYPD
• Providing decision register notes
• Compile and deliver final minutes and a comprehensive report of the proceedings to DWYPD within 7 working days after the conclusion of the meeting

Required delivery time frames:

• 04-05 September: 2 days
• 21-25 October: 5 days
• 04-05 November: 2 days

With 7 additional days, for each meeting, to: 

• Reviewing and synthesizing notes from all sessions
• Drafting the report
• Revisions and finalization
• Incorporating feedback if required

Deliverables 

Special conditions:

• Maintaining confidentiality and handling sensitive information with discretion. It is not allowed to share information relating to the meeting without the consent of the South African Government.
• It is required that the service provider attend the session physically. 
• Ensuring that minutes are accurate, concise, and free of bias.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

The consultant is expected to attend the meetings physically, where relevant, UN Women will cover the costs for travel outside the Pretoria duty station.

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 writing and editing skills
• Analytical and critical thinking
• Gender sensitivity and advocacy
• Strong organizational and planning skills

Required Qualifications

Education and Certification:

• A master’s degree or equivalent in English, Gender Studies, Social Science, Politics, Development, or relevant field or other related areas.
• 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 relevant work experience in recording the proceedings and discussions at workshops with either UN agencies, Government bodies or NGOs.
• Fluency in spoken and written English required.
• Experience working on or knowledge of gender equality and intergovernmental processes is an asset.
• Cultural sensitivity, confidentiality and experience documenting workshops of culturally diverse and international groups. 

Languages:

• Fluency in English 

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.