Request from
Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women,
Focal Point for Women, DESA
JOB DESCRIPTION
INT-170-05-P139-01-V (July 2009)
General Information
Title: Associate Expert in: Gender Analysis
Duration: 1 year (with possible extension for another year)
Date Required: As soon as possible
Duty Station: United Nations Headquarters, New York
Supervision
Title of the supervisor: Focal Point for Women
Content and methodology of supervision:
The incumbent will report directly to the Focal Point for Women. Regular discussions will be
held to review the background and approach to work assignments, to appraise progress in the
delivery of outputs, and to assess performance.
Under the guidance of the Focal Point, the incumbent will prepare a work plan setting out the
objectives for the plan period. The work plan will follow the format of the United Nations
Performance Appraisal System (PAS), the purpose of which is to encourage staff participation in
the planning, delivery and evaluation of work. The PAS evaluation process includes discussion
of goals, regular feedback, review of progress mid-term during the annual performance cycle,
and year-end appraisal. An important function of the PAS is to promote communication
between staff members and supervisors in setting goals and the basis upon which individual
performance will be assessed.
Duties, responsibilities and output expectations
Under the supervision of the Focal Point for Women, the incumbent will:
1) Research and analyze information on actions taken by United Nations departments and
other entities of the United Nations system to implement General Assembly resolution
59/164 of 20 December 2004 on improving the status of women; draft related
background papers, talking points and correspondence;
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2) Research and compile information on initiatives taken by programmes and funds of the
UN common system, other international organizations, and NGOs to improve the status
of women and the work/life environments in their respective organizations; assesses the
relevance of these initiatives for United Nations Secretariat activities in the same
sectors; draft related background reports and correspondence for the Focal Point;
3) Provide organizational and substantive assistance to the network of Departmental Focal
Points and any other committees and networks as requested;
4) Identify best practices for improving the status of women and maintain a database of
good practices in specialized agencies, programmes and funds of the UN common
system;
5) Draft and prepare in cooperation with the Focal Point a quarterly newsletter called
“Network”;
6) Draft and prepare information materials on gender issues for advocacy and outreach
purposes, including through the Womenwatch website;
7) Serves as the point of contact for communications with the outside institutions and with
other UN departments and agencies;
8) Identify qualified senior women for vacancies at the senior decision-making levels and
maintain a database of women candidates for high-level posts in the UN syste
9) Provide support to the Focal Point for Women in the drafting and preparation of reports,
talking points and speeches for relevant intergovernmental bodies including the General
Assembly, and the Commission on the Status of Women; prepare analytical summaries
of debates in these bodies.
Qualifications and experience
The incumbent should possess the following background:

Advanced university degree in relevant field such as Social Science, international
relations, human resources management, gender, women’s rights and/or journalism;
excellent English, communication, advocacy and writing skills necessary;

Relevant work experience in international affairs, human rights, or humanitarian
assistance, ideally with some international experience and familiarity with gender issues;

Computer and Internet literate;

Fluent English, with very good drafting skills; knowledge of another UN official language
highly desirable;

Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team;

Initiative and ability to work under pressure of deadlines.
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Learning elements
After the assignment, the Associate Expert will be able to:

Acquire knowledge and insight into the organization, functions of the UN;

Analyze personnel statistics on gender balance and prepare briefs and monitoring
reports on the status of women, in the context of the various resolutions of the General
Assembly on the advancement of women in the Secretariat;

Research information required for drafting reports to the General Assembly and the
Commission on the Status of Women;

Assist in identifying qualified senior women for vacancies at the senior decision-making
levels through accessing existing networks, and creating new networks to widen the
outreach for women candidates;

Design and produce in cooperation with the unit the quarterly newsletter NETWORK on
gender issues; includes the writing of articles on gender issues; reporting on a wide
range of UN events concerning, inter alia human rights, development, gender
mainstreaming, gender balance and other substantive issues considered by the
Commission on the Advancement of Women; ECOSOC sessions; and other bodies that
deal with gender issues and the advancement of women; interviewing senior women
and, compiling information on activities undertaken in UN peacekeeping missions and
other parts of the UN system; systematize and expand networks for dissemination of the
newsletter, supervise the distribution of Network in the UN common system and other
electronic networks;

Research UN system and other best practices, on gender balance and work-life issues
such as spouse employment, harassment, etc. and draft policy papers on these issues;

Participate in working groups and task forces on HR policies and practices and
contribute to the development of new improved policies, practices and procedures.
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Background information
In February 1997, the Secretary-General appointed the first Special Adviser on Gender
Issues and the Advancement of Women, at the level of Assistant Secretary-General. The Office
of the Special Adviser incorporates the office of the Focal Point for Women in the Secretariat, in
the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
The office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women was
preceded by the establishment of a programme to improve the status of women in the
Secretariat in 1984. By General Assembly resolution 39/245 of 16 December 1984, a senior
official at the Assistant Secretary-General level, with the title of Coordinator was appointed to
head the programme. Her office functioned from 1985 to 1988 in the office of Human Resources
Management.
Thereafter, by way of resolution 43/224 of 21 December 1988, the General Assembly
endorsed the Secretary-General’s decision to deploy, on a full-time basis, a Focal Point for
Women in the Secretariat, at the Principal Officer level, in the Office of Human Resources
Management. The Focal Point was mandated to monitor the status of women in the United
Nation’s Secretariat.
These initiatives were in response to calls at three global conferences on women -Mexico, Copenhagen, and Nairobi -- and the resulting General Assembly resolutions which
decreed that the United Nations must provide leadership and an example for Member States by
achieving gender equality for women in the Secretariat, in particular, at the decision-making
levels (posts D-1 to ASG/USG).
Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI)
The Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women reports directly
to the Secretary-General on gender issues, and assists him in ensuring the system-wide
coordination of policy for implementing the Beijing Platform for Action, and for mainstreaming a
gender perspective in all activities of the UN Secretariat. The main functions of the Special
Adviser are:

Policy-making on gender issues within the Organization;
 Representational work to promote the message of gender equality and the Beijing
Platform for Action, at the level of Governments, regional bodies, agencies and with
department and office heads;

Coordination functions through interagency contacts and advocacy;

Management of joint programmes within the UN;
 Directs and manages the work of the Division of Advancement of Women and the
office of the Focal Poi
The Focal Point for Women in the Secretariat, under the guidance of the
Special Adviser, assists the Secretary-General to meet the General Assembly’s
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mandated target of achieving 50/50 gender distribution at all post levels and, to
mainstream gender in all programmes and projects. The office of the Focal Point also
assists in collaboration with OHRM in the monitoring and implementing of the Action
Plan of HR Management that establishes gender goals for departments and offices. The
Focal Point is also committed to the improvement of the status of women in the
Secretariat including grievance redress and work/life environment. The main goals of the
office of the Focal Point are:

Intervention in recruitment, promotion and placement processes to ensure that
more women are recruited and promoted, in particular at decision-making levels;

Development of reports for the General Assembly on the improvement of the
status of women in the Secretariat;

Counseling and guidance to women staff members;

Communication, outreach and information dissemination to ensure that the UN
and other outside institutions benefit from the lessons learned in addressing
gender issues in the work place;

Participation in the debates of the Third Committee, the Commission on the
Status of Women and any other intergovernmental bodies as required.
Network of departmental Focal Points
The office of the Focal Point for Women undertakes its functions in conjunction with a
system wide network of departmental focal points.
In 1994, the value of a Secretariat-wide network of departmental Focal Points for women
was recognized. The terms of reference of the departmental Focal Points were first issued in
the form of a memorandum dated 27 June 1994 from the Assistant Secretary-General for
Human Resources Management to the heads of departments. The revised terms of reference
was issued on 20 December 1999 as a Secretary-General’s Bulletin (ST/SGB/1999/19).
Special measures to improve the status of women in the Secretariat (ST/AI/1999/9)
The Secretary-General instituted a series of special measures applicable to the
recruitment, promotion and placement of women. These measures, which were aimed at the
achievement of the goal of 50/50 gender distribution in the Secretariat, will remain in effect until
the Secretary-General is satisfied that substantial progress towards the goal of gender balance
has been made. The special measures governing the selection and placement of women
candidates apply for the filing of all vacant posts at the Professional level in every department
and office that has not met the goal of 50/50 gender distribution overall and at each grade level.
In order to further strengthen the applicability of the special measures for the
achievement of gender equality in the Secretariat, a working group, chaired by the Special
Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, reviewed and revised the special
measures for the achievement of gender equality contained in the administrative instruction
ST/AI/412. The revised special measures were issued as ST/AI/1999/9 on 21 September 1999.