National Consultant to Assess the Impact of Climate Change on Women and Girls in the Context of Conflict and Peacebuilding in South Sudan Consultancy

Background

South Sudan is one of the countries hardest hit by climate change. The region often experiences severe droughts, floods, and unpredictable rainfall, leading to widespread food insecurity, displacement, and loss of livelihoods. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 7.2 million people in South Sudan are currently facing acute food insecurity, and climate change is a big part of the problem. South Sudan is grappling with many socio-economic and security challenges, and climate change exacerbates these challenges. Climate change affects women and girls disproportionately, intensifying gender inequalities and hindering peacebuilding efforts.

Climate disasters have displaced many communities, increasing the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs). The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that nearly 1.7 million people are internally displaced in South Sudan, and most of them are women and children. These displaced women and girls face greater risks of gender-based violence (GBV) and have less access to essential services.

Agriculture, the backbone of South Sudan’s economy is heavily impacted by climate change. Women, who make up over 60% of the agricultural workforce, are particularly affected by reduced agricultural productivity. Unpredictable weather disrupts planting and harvesting, leading to crop failures and reduced food availability. This not only threatens food security but also undermines women’s economic independence and their ability to support their families.

Climate change has also led to water scarcity and contamination, which negatively impacts health. Women and girls, who are mainly responsible for collecting water, now spend more time and effort on this task, limiting their opportunities for education and economic activities. Flooding exacerbates waterborne diseases, posing significant health risks. According to UNICEF, only 41% of the population has access to safe drinking water, and women and girls often suffer the most from these health impacts.

Displacement and resource scarcity due to climate change contribute to increased gender-based violence (GBV), with women and girls facing heightened risks of sexual violence, exploitation, and abuse. Displacement camps and informal settlements often lack adequate protection measures, exacerbating their vulnerability. In South Sudan, particularly in areas like Upper Nile and Jonglei that are severely affected by climate shocks, there has been a notable increase in GBV cases.

The interplay of climate change and conflict significantly complicates peacebuilding efforts in South Sudan. Women’s participation is crucial for effective peacebuilding, yet climate change poses substantial barriers to their involvement. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) underscores the importance of addressing the interconnected issues of climate, gender, and conflict to achieve sustainable peace. Women’s leadership in climate adaptation and resilience-building initiatives can bolster community resilience and foster long-term stability.

A major challenge is the lack of comprehensive data on the specific impacts of climate change on women and girls in South Sudan. This data gap hinders a complete understanding of the problem’s scope and the development of targeted interventions. Without detailed information, efforts to address the unique vulnerabilities and needs of women and girls are less effective, limiting the impact of policy responses and support programs.

Rationale:

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.

UN Women is implementing its Strategic Note (SN) 2023-2025, which aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and UN Women’s Global Strategic Plan (SP). This document outlines the strategies and resources necessary to achieve gender equality and empowerment in South Sudan.

As part of this effort, UN Women is also leading the “Local Solutions to Climate Resilience and Advance Peace and Stability in Bor, Pibor, and Malakal” project. This initiative aims to enhance peace and stability through resilience-building efforts in these regions. It is a collaborative endeavor with IOM and FAO, involving interventions at various levels, including individual, household, community, local, city, subnational, institutional, and national levels.

One of the key outcomes of the Strategic Note is that women and men in South Sudan, particularly youth and vulnerable groups, benefit from and contribute to more sustainable and inclusive economic development. This includes increased economic diversification, improved climate change adaptation, and greater resilience to economic shocks. The assessment on climate change will further support this by equipping relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Local Government Authorities (LGAs), communities and programs to establish and maintain inclusive, gender-responsive early warning systems and disaster preparedness, response, and recovery mechanisms.

Objectives:

The assessment on the impact of climate change on women and girls will be conducted across the 10 States and 3 Administrative areas in South Sudan. The results from this assessment will inform what measures are needed to address the specific vulnerabilities and challenges faced by women and girls due to climate change. Specific objectives of the assessment include:

• To raise awareness and generate data on the impact of climate change on women and girls: This issue is critical and often overlooked amidst the various challenges the country faces. An assessment will help highlight the unique challenges women and girls encounter, providing a basis for advocacy and targeted interventions;
• To understand the root causes of the vulnerabilities of women and girls to climate change: Identifying the factors that exacerbate the impact of climate change on women and girls will help develop effective strategies to address these issues and enhance resilience;
• To develop recommendations for improving climate change adaptation and resilience among women and girls: This includes suggesting changes to policies and practices, as well as raising awareness and educating communities about the gender-specific impacts of climate change;
• To equip relevant stakeholders with the knowledge to establish and maintain gender-responsive early warning systems and disaster preparedness mechanisms: This ensures that ministries, departments, agencies, local authorities, and communities are better prepared to support women and girls in the face of climate-related disasters.

An assessment on the impact of climate change on women and girls in South Sudan is a crucial step towards creating a more resilient and equitable society. It will help protect women’s rights and ensure their active participation in climate resilience and adaptation efforts.

Duties and Responsibilities

With direct reporting to the Programme Officer Women, Peace, and Security and under the overall guidance of the Deputy Country Representative, the consultant will:

1. Conduct a country-wide assessment on the Impact of Climate Change on Women and Girls in the Context of Conflict and Peacebuilding in South Sudan:

• Submission and acceptance of the inception report, which includes a detailed research design, methodology, tools, and work plan;
• Data collection, Analysis, Submission and acceptance of draft assessment report and presentation of key findings:
• Conduct primary and secondary data collection on available information on the impact of climate change on women and girls;
• Consult relevant stakeholders to identify the barriers faced by women and girls in relation to climate change;
• Harmonize all data and findings;
• Make recommendations based on findings, including from stakeholders;
• Submission and acceptance of the final assessment report;
• A detailed assessment report with clear findings and recommendations.

2. Facilitate both internal and external validation workshops` to review the data collected with key stakeholders and produce a final assessment report incorporating comments from the validation workshop:

• Act as lead facilitator for both internal and external validation workshops;
• Compile the feedback from the validation workshops and incorporate it into the assessment document;
• Copy-edit the document and produce a polished final version.

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Leading by Example.

Key Performance Indicators:

• Timely and quality submission of reports;
• Analysis of secondary and primary data;
• Survey tools;
• Presentation of findings to key stakeholders;
• Engagement with stakeholders.

Functional Competencies

• Excellent research and analytical skills: Ability to conduct thorough research and analysis on the impact of climate change on women and girls, particularly in conflict and peacebuilding contexts;
• Strong knowledge and experience in women, peace and security, and climate change: Understanding of how climate change exacerbates issues related to gender equality and women’s empowerment in these areas;
• Data gathering and interpretation: Proficiency in collecting and interpreting data to reach logical conclusions and present well-founded findings and recommendations;
• Expertise in contextual gender equality literature: Deep knowledge of literature on gender equality, women’s rights, empowerment, and climate change, especially in conflict-affected areas;
• Practical knowledge of initiatives promoting women’s security and resilience: Experience with initiatives that enhance women’s security and resilience in the face of climate change and conflict;
• Proven experience in data collection from relevant stakeholders: Ability to collect data from stakeholders at the state level, focusing on the specific challenges women and girls face due to climate change;
• Excellent networking and communication skills: Ability to engage effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including government agencies, local authorities, and community groups;
• Facilitation and presentation skills: Ability to facilitate meetings and presentations that communicate complex information effectively;
• Ability to simplify complex information: Skilled at breaking down complex information to make it accessible to individuals with limited literacy;
• Promotion of knowledge sharing and learning culture: Commitment to fostering a culture of knowledge sharing and continuous learning;
• Extensive experience in developing and finalizing technical documents/reports: Proven track record of producing high-quality technical documents and reports in gender equality, climate change, and conflict.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Social Science Research or related field (e.g., Statistics, Political Science, International Relations, Gender, Development, Communications, Public Relations) or a related field.

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in research and data analysis;
• Demonstrated extensive knowledge of Governance in South Sudan;
• Proven experience facilitating and making presentations targeting high level stakeholders;
• Proven experience and evidence of having conducted previous assignments on research and data analysis;
• Experience of working with multi-stakeholder organizations is desirable, governments, CSOs, and the UN/ multilateral/bilateral institutions;
• Knowledge of issues related to gender equality in South Sudan is desirable
• Strong report writing and development of knowledge products.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required Arabic is desirable;
• Excellent English writing skills is required.

Annex: (I) Application procedure and deadline

• Interested applicants must submit the following documents/information (in PDF format) to demonstrate their qualifications:

Technical component:

• Letter of interest explaining why they are the most suitable for the work.
• Technical proposal of no more than three pages outlining the applicant’s understanding of the assignment and proposed methodology for the assignment, including stakeholders to be met.
• A Curriculum Vitae (CV) with contact details of 3 (three) clients for whom you have rendered similar services.
• Sample work (may be asked for in separate communication).

Financial proposal (with your signature)

• The financial proposal specifying a total lump sum amount in US Dollars for the consultancy work;
• Please note that the cost of preparing a proposal and of negotiating a contract, including any related travel, is not reimbursable as a direct cost of the assignment.

UN Women P-11 Form:

Applications must have the completed UN Women P-11 form to be treated as complete and be considered for further assessment. The Personal History Form P-11 that can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment

Please note the system will only allow one attachment, hence please combine multiple files (the letter of interest, CV, financial proposal and completed UN women P-11) while uploading the attachment.

Qualified women candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

Note:

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 more significant 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.

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, colour, 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 organisational 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.) 

Tagged as: South Sudan, UNDP