National Consultant - Gender, Migration and Anti-Trafficking at UN Women

Location: Abuja, with frequent travel to Edo and Lagos
Type of Contract: Individual Contract
Post Level: National Consultant
Duration of the Assignment: The assignment is expected to take 45 working days from the date of signing the contract.

Duties and Responsibilities

• The overall objective of the consultancy is the review and gender analysis of the legislative, policy, and institutional frameworks at the federal and state level to address forced migration and trafficking in women and girls as well as support implementation of the VAPP Bill in Edo State and review implementation of its equivalent, the Domestic Violence Law in Lagos State.
• The review will provide the basis for convening the broad range of stakeholders addressing trafficking and forced migration, including key national and state authorities, women led organizations, UN agencies, front line providers-including from the security and justice sectors, to deliberate on existing challenges and gaps as it relates to gender-responsive approaches to trafficking and forced migration of women and girls.
• The consultancy will have a concerted focus on the implementation of the VAPP Act in the target States and identify priorities for implementation/interventions as it relates to TIP.

In partnership with the UN Women team, the national consultant will perform the following functions:

• Desk review of existing federal and state level (Edo and Lagos States) policies, instruments, laws, plans and institutional frameworks/arrangements on forced migration and trafficking from a gender perspective including 2008 National Policy on Protection and Assistance to Trafficked Persons in Nigeria; National Action Plan on Trafficking in Persons; Trafficking in Persons Law Enforcement and Administration Act, as amended in 2015; 2015 Guidelines on National Referral Mechanism for Protection and Assistance to Trafficked Persons in Nigeria; and 2018 Standard Operating Procedures for Coordinating Law Enforcement Response.
• Provide policy recommendations at National and State level to include a gender perspective
• Undertake consultative meetings among UN Agencies, national and state level stakeholders, security sector institutions, front line service providers and CSOs
• Facilitate validation workshops on the above-mentioned review and priority actions with both federal and state level stakeholders
• Develop and validate, in close consultation with state-level actors, priorities and key actions for the implementation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bill in Edo State
• Undertake an implementation status review of the Domestic Violence Law in Lagos State

Deliverables of the Assignment and time frame
The selected National Consultant will be expected to complete the following key-deliverables within the indicative timeframe:

Due Date 15 days from the commencement of assignment:

• A validated situational analysis report on existing policies, laws, plans and institutional frameworks on forced migration and trafficking at federal and state level, which highlights the gender dimensions, gaps and actions required to address them-including recommendations on laws and policies requiring revision. The Report should include a specific section on key priorities, actions, and interventions around the implementation of the VAPP Bill in Edo and the Domestic Violence Law in Lagos State

Due Date 20 days from the commencement of assignment:

• Reports of consultative meetings with UN Agencies, national and state level key stakeholders including security sector institutions, frontline service providers as well as CSOs and women-led organizations

Due date 35 days from the commencement of assignment:

• Organisation of two validation workshops and reports of the two validation workshops

Due date 45 days from the commencement of assignment:

• A comprehensive report on the consultancy assignment, including findings and recommendations to UN Women, legislators, MDAs, CSOs, among others on the effective implementation of gender-sensitive policies on forced migration and trafficking and specifically the VAPP Act

Reporting:

• Under the strategic guidance of the Country Representative and in partnership with the UN Women Team, the proponent will develop and deliver the above listed outputs in accordance with the above listed outputs in accordance with the above outlined timeframe.
• Writing and formatting of the document should be consistent throughout.

Required Skills and Experience
Education:

• Master's degree in Law, Social Science, Gender Studies, International Development, Human Rights, Political Science, International Relations, Peace and Conflict Studies or any related field.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of relevant experience at national or international level in implementing or advocating for women’s rights, preferably in the area of migration and anti-trafficking;
• Excellent knowledge of research and assessment of programmes relating to policies and laws affecting women
• Understanding of the policy and legislative environment in Nigeria and ability to mobilize multi-stakeholders, especially National and State Authorities
• Previous experience in drafting/publishing such similar guides on gender and migration and trafficking

Competencies
Core Values / Guiding Principles:

• Integrity: Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct;
• Professionalism: Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work;
• Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity: Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Ethics and Values: Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity;
• Organizational Awareness: Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
• Development and Innovation: Take charge of self-development and take initiative;
• Work in teams: Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multiethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds;
• Communicating and Information Sharing: Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication;
• Self-management and Emotional Intelligence: Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behavior towards others;
• Conflict Management: Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution;
• Continuous Learning and Knowledge Sharing: Encourage learning and sharing of knowledge;
• Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making: Demonstrate informed and transparent decision making.

Functional Competencies:

• Knowledge of international law and instruments related to trafficking and migration, international law and international instruments on women’s rights
• Understanding of new developments, standards, good practice, and policy issues as they relate to anti-trafficking and safe migration initiatives
• Sound knowledge of the legal and policy framework on trafficking in persons and migration in Nigeria
• Excellent legal and gender analytical capacity;
• Knowledge of witness and victim protection and data protection;
• Ability to speak and write in a clear and gender-sensitive language; and
• Familiarity with the UN system and knowledge of UN Women.