Deadline: 21-Oct-22
Are you an institution focusing on gender equality, women’s rights, and women’s empowerment in the East and Southern Africa region? The UN Women Regional Office is looking for organizations and groups to drive dialogue & engagement on gender equality, to support consultations between UN Women and civil society and help inform UN Women’s priorities and strategies in the region.
Membership will be drawn from institutions working in the region. This is a voluntary role, with a term of 2 years. Institutions (NGOs, Community Based Organizations, Networks, research institutions etc) with a proven track record working on diverse gender equality, women’s rights and empowerment areas are encouraged to apply for consideration for the 12 member Advisory Group.
Goals
- To foster strategic dialogue and engagement, with a view of addressing the root causes of gender inequalities and advance goals of gender equality and women’s empowerment.
- To provide a forum to enable mutually beneficial consultations between UN Women and civil society and draw upon the rich and diverse expertise, experience, outreach and networks, perspective and knowledge that civil society can offer on a timely and effective basis.
- To serve as a consultative forum to agree on regional priorities and develop joint strategies to inform UN women’s programmes.
The role and function of the Regional CSAG are to provide:
- A dual role of being advisor but also advocate on key strategic areas for intervention that will address existing gender inequalities and develop agreed frameworks for engagement and support to inform the work of UN Women at regional level.
- Inputs to UN Women during the formulation of key strategic documents e.g. the regional Strategic Note, regional programmes and in identification of priority thematic areas for the region.
- Provide feedback on UN Women’s work including how to streamline e.g. through participation at annual retreats and having a dialogue with respective Country Representatives.
- Insights on the political, social, economic and cultural developments and trends for consideration in UN Women’s engagement in the region.
- Perspectives on regional scenarios and contribute to positions on key issues including for intergovernmental processes.
- Strategic advice on an advocacy agenda to promote Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in the region.
- Contributions to the strengthening of UN Women’s engagement with civil society at regional and national levels.
- Support as necessary to UN Women’s partnership with civil society, in relevant intergovernmental processes and fora.
Serving in the advisory group is on a voluntary basis. UN Women will cover expenses related to travel by members to Regional-CSAG meetings.
Membership
- The R-CSAG membership will be at an institution level and not at the individual level to ensure availability of members for meetings. Institutions will be required to assign a focal person and alternates whom they consider is fit for such a high-level advisory group. Such arrangement is expected to help avoid issue of quorum as it is highly likely that there will always be someone that can step-in in the event the main focal person can’t make it to the scheduled meeting.
- The Regional-CSAG will consist of 12 members of diverse gender identities representing institutions that are committed to the core values of the United Nations and to the mission of UN Women. The institutions should have a proven track record in their respective fields preferably with strong credentials as gender, development and or women’s rights advocates.
- Members representing institutions will be drawn from non-governmental organizations, women’s rights organizations/ networks/coalitions/movements, community-based organizations, academia and others working on gender equality, women’s rights and women’s empowerment in diverse sectors. Mostly, the members representing institutions will be drawn from institutions that work on these issues from a regional perspective.
Criteria
RCSAG members will be selected so that they meet the following criteria:
- Organizations that are working on gender equality, women rights and women’s empowerment from a regional perspective including but not limited to:
- Women’s Economic Empowerment.
- Women in Leadership and Decision Making.
- Ending Violence against Women.
- Promoting women’s voices in humanitarian action and disaster risk reduction.
- Gender equality and women’s legal rights.
- Representatives from community -based organizations who are engaged in regional advocacy or networks promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women.
- Representatives from faith-based or traditional leaders’ organizations that work on gender equality and women’s rights at a regional level.
- Representatives from youth-led or youth-focused organizations that work on gender equality and women’s rights issues at a regional level.
- Representatives from organizations of persons with disabilities (ideally women-led) that work on gender equality, women’s rights and disability rights.
- Representatives of organizations working with or representing other groups facing intersecting forms of discrimination.
- Geographical balance between Eastern and Southern Africa; men and women (ensuring no more than 2/3 of one gender is represented).
Selection Criteria
- The nominated Institutions will nominate a qualified focal person to the Regional CSAG
- At least 5 years of working experience in civil society, in gender equality, women’s rights and women’s empowerment.
- Regional experience in advocating for and promoting gender equality, development and or human rights.
- Thematic expertise in women’s economic empowerment, leadership or violence against women or any thematic priority for UN Women in the region.
- Knowledge and understanding of gender issues in the region.
- Experience in engendering policy and legislation frameworks.
- Strong analytical capacity o No active engagement in politics to safeguard neutrality of the UN.
- Other considerations.
- The advisory group should have both women and men.
- The advisory group should include female youth (using the UN definition of persons aged between 15 and 24).
- The advisory group should include person(s) with disabilities.
- Since it is not possible to have all constituencies represented in the advisory group, wherever necessary, opportunities will be there to invite specific persons or experts to the advisory group’s meeting.
- If there is a gap in expertise after assessing the nominations, the Regional Director can supplement the membership by nominating additional members to fill the gap.
- Nominees should be aware that they are representing civil society in this advisory group, not their respective organizations or interests.
For more information, visit https://africa.unwomen.org/en/programme-implementation/2022/10/call-for-application-regional-civil-society-advisory-group-rcsag-for-eastern-and-southern-africa
