National Consultant for implementing and delivering a curriculum on VAWG prevention in schools or community groups

Background

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. Placing women’s rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates the efforts of the UN system to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. UN Women provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

UN Women has a universal mandate that encompasses a normative, an operational/programmatic as well as a coordination role, all of which are closely linked with its unique structure. At the core of its mandate, UN women plays a leading role in supporting governments in delivering on their gender equality and empowerment of women (GEEW) commitments in the SDGs. UN Women is mandated to stimulate and coordinate improved action on gender equality across the whole UN system.

Assignment background

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the most widespread violations of human rights worldwide, globally affecting almost one in three women in her lifetime. Regional evidence suggests that a similar ratio applies in the Asia-Pacific region. Forms of VAWG may vary, and there are variations across sites,

however, current available data indicates that in 2018, 19% of women in South Asia, 9% in Southeast Asia and between 19% and 30% in the Pacific experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence in the past 12 months. Lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence is as high as 53% in Kiribati and 50% in the Solomon Islands. Violence against women is firmly rooted in gender inequality, discrimination and harmful cultural and social norms. It is grounded in unequal power relations between women and men and reinforced by discriminatory and gender-biased attitudes, norms and practices. Violence against women and girls occurs at home, in workplaces, in public spaces and online, and can culminate in femicide, the murder of women and girls. Deeply ingrained patriarchal, cultural and religious norms in society and institutions which place a lower value on women and girls contribute to high levels of acceptance of violence by both men and women. The widespread cultural acceptance of violence allows it to continue, often unchallenged.

To support women’s leadership, promote gender equality and end violence against women, access to quality education is essential. Education is critical in empowering and transforming the lives of children and young people, and laying down the foundations for gender equality, non-violence and healthy relationships. We have to understand if our educators and materials in schools are teaching gender equality, or reinforcing inequalities. Education is at the heart of changing attitudes and behaviors related to gender roles. Learning about healthy, respectful relationships through schools and universities gives people alternatives to following socially and culturally accepted norms that allow for gender inequality or violence.  For young women and girls especially, a quality education can enable them to claim their rights, to stand up against discrimination and violence and to develop the skills that lead them to financial autonomy.

Young people are essential to challenge these negative norms and stereotypes and replace them with a “new normal” based on gender equality, respect and non-violence. Violence against women is learned, and can therefore be prevented, especially if efforts begin early in the life-cycle, in schools and with youth groups such as scouts and guides.

Based on the principles of respect and equality, and lessons learned from evidence-based results on what works in preventing violence from occurring and recurring, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Women, in collaboration with ten other UN, bilateral, and multilateral agencies, have developed ‘RESPECT Women: Preventing violence against women’. This publication provides a comprehensive framework to inform policy makers and implementers about designing, planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating interventions and programmes on preventing and responding to violence against women. The framework outlines seven inter-related intervention strategies derived from the word “respect”, one of which includes “child and adolescent abuse prevented”. It emphasizes relationship skills training for parents and caregivers, promoting positive discipline, empowering children, especially girls, through life skills education, and support for caregivers via home visits and mental health services. The guide also highlights the importance of program adaptation to local contexts, early childhood interventions, trained facilitators, and the role of tailored community engagement, addressing harmful norms through collaboration with schools and health centers.

WHO (2021). Violence Against Women Prevalence Estimates, 2018 – Global, regional and national prevalence estimates for intimate partner violence against women and global and regional prevalence estimates for non-partner sexual violence against women. Available from:

Ibid.

Ibid.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

UN Women ROAP previously partnered with the Girl Guides Association of Thailand to develop, implement and monitor a violence against women prevention programme targeting adolescent children in schools in Thailand. The previous project aimed to raise awareness about gender equality and reduce violence in schools in Thailand. It employed a train-the-trainer (ToT) approach, where participants were trained to deliver the in their schools, reaching adolescent school children. This initiative is a continuation of the project, which was previously implemented in 14 schools, directly reaching 2,898 individuals across Thailand.

In this second phase, the programme will adhere to the RESPECT framework, on preventing “child and adolescent abuse” and ToT approach previously adopted to empower trained participants to facilitate workshops with children. By narrowing the focus to a smaller number of beneficiaries, this phase aims to foster deeper engagement, with a stronger emphasis on interaction, reflection, and practical application of the lessons learned. The goal is to influence and challenge social norms, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors to prevent violence in schools and, by extension, the wider community.   

The consultant shall propose an approach to engage youth in VAWG prevention in schools or community groups in Thailand from October 2024 to February 2025, in line with the RESPECT framework for preventing child and adolescent abuse. This includes designing activities that involve youth in discussions and initiatives around VAWG prevention, integrating them into the broader curriculum, and ensuring active participation. The sessions will combine online and face-to-face training including online sessions for participants, face-to-face training for facilitators, and curriculum implementation in at least one school and community. The project will conclude with an evaluation and reporting on the activities conducted in Thailand, with the contractor tracking learning outcomes and participant knowledge.   

The purpose is to increase the delivery and dissemination of a curriculum on preventing child and adolescent abuse in Thailand, expanding its reach and the delivery of evidence-based prevention programming for girls, women and communities in the region, and to support youth advocacy for gender equality.

Deliverables and Timeline

• Propose an approach to engage youth in VAWG prevention in schools or community groups, in line with the RESPECT framework for preventing child and adolescent abuse.
• Pilot the training package by organizing learning sessions in Thailand. This includes leading and coordinating session plannings, including training of facilitators and for students in at least one school in Thailand.
• Conduct a project evaluation and final reporting following the rolling out of the curriculum. This will include conducting a series of surveys, focus group discussions and conversations with project participants and facilitators and analyze the collected data to evaluate the project implementation and impact.  

Supervision

The national consultant will work under the supervision of the EVAW Programme Manager of the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

The consultant is expected to give regular progress updates on each of the deliverables and be available for discussion with the UN Women ROAP. After the submission of each draft version of the deliverables, the consultant is expected to incorporate any given comments and feedback from UN Women ROAP into the final versions.

Competencies

Core Values: 

• Respect for Diversity 
• Integrity 
• Professionalism 

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 Core Values and Competencies:  

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES: 

• Good research and analytical
• Good knowledge of working with girls and young women
• Ability to work independently and meet tight deadlines in a high-pressure environment

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree in the field of gender studies, social work, education, or other related area.
• 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:

• A minimum of 2 years of relevant experience in project/programme development and implementation with strong technical expertise in preventing violence against women and social norms change.
• Demonstrated experience in developing, supporting, adapting and piloting evidence-based programming on prevention of violence.
• Demonstrated experience in capacity building and monitoring & reporting related to VAWG and prevention of VAWG
• Knowledge about gender equality and the empowerment of women and violence against women.
• Strong research with strong analytical skills.
• Familiarity with violence against women prevention in Asia and the Pacific is an asset.
• Experience working for UN Women is a distinctive advantage.

Languages:

• Proficiency in Thai and English are required. 
• How to Apply
•  P11 (can be downloaded from:  )
• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page)

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