National Strategic Communications Consultant

Background

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 in Georgia supports state and non-state partners towards the achievement of substantive gender equality in Georgia. In line with national and international commitments, UN Women works on the levels of policy and legislation, institutions and grassroots, in order to achieve transformative results for increased gender equality and greater protection of the rights of women and girls. UN Women puts special emphasis on the work towards gender mainstreaming in good governance reforms and enhancing women’s political participation, ending violence against women, promoting and supporting women’s economic empowerment, and Women, Peace and Security agenda.

Globally, progress towards gender equality and women’s rights is taking place in an increasingly challenging environment, characterized by shrinking civic space, growing political and social polarization, increasing pressures on civil society, and intensifying backlash against gender equality. Women’s civil society organizations (CSOs), women human rights defenders (WHRDs), feminist activists and other actors working to advance women’s rights are particularly affected by these developments, facing growing constraints on their ability to participate, organize, advocate and influence public discourse. A significant dimension of the growing backlash against gender equality is the increasing prominence of anti-gender narratives in public and political discourse. Such narratives challenge the legitimacy and relevance of gender equality and women’s rights, reinforce harmful gender stereotypes, and contribute to misinformation and polarization. They frequently portray gender equality as being in conflict with traditional, cultural, religious and family values; question the existence or extent of gender inequality and violence against women; and seek to discredit women’s rights organizations, activists and other actors advancing gender equality. In this context, strengthening strategic communication and developing credible, accessible and context-sensitive positive narratives on gender equality, women’s rights and women’s leadership is increasingly important.

Georgia is not immune to these trends. Anti-gender narratives have become increasingly prominent in public and political discourse, compounded by shrinking civic space, growing pressure on gender equality advocates, and restrictions affecting women’s rights organizations that have long served as the backbone of the country’s gender equality agenda. As these narratives become more normalized and persuasive, they risk shaping public attitudes and influencing the perceptions of communities, institutions and decision-makers. Their growing resonance threatens to erode public support for gender equality and women’s rights, undermine trust in women’s organizations and activists, and reverse hard-won progress towards substantive gender equality.

Within the framework of its Women’s Leadership and Decision-making (WLD) portfolio, UN Women, with support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), seeks to engage a National Strategic Communications Consultant to provide technical expertise for the development of a Strategic Communications Framework to counter anti-gender narratives and strengthen positive narratives on gender equality, women’s rights and women’s leadership in Georgia. The consultancy will build substantially on the findings and recommendations of UN Women’s recent Study on Anti-gender Discourse in Georgia, which will serve as a key analytical foundation for the assignment. The consultant will work closely with UN Women and facilitate a participatory process to identify priority communication challenges, narratives and audiences, and to develop context-sensitive and evidence-informed communication responses.

The key output of the consultancy will be a Strategic Communications Framework providing practical guidance for responding to anti-gender narratives and promoting positive narratives. The Framework is expected to include, among other elements, priority audiences and audience considerations; key messages and counter-messages; recommended communication approaches, framing and tone; guidance on appropriate messengers and communication channels; and an assessment of key communication risks, including potential backlash, with corresponding mitigation measures. It should provide adaptable guidance that can inform the development and implementation of communications interventions by UN Women and relevant partners across different contexts. The Strategic Communications Framework should bring together the evidence and analysis from existing research, audience insights and practical communication considerations, providing a clear, actionable and context-sensitive resource to strengthen responses to anti-gender narratives and support more effective communication on gender equality, women’s rights and women’s leadership in Georgia.

The National Consultant will be reporting to the WLD Project Analyst and WLD Programme Specialist and will be supported by the WLD Project Assistant, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

• Conduct a desk review of relevant research, reports and communication materials, including UN Women’s recent Study on Anti-gender Discourse in Georgia, to identify key narratives, communication challenges, audiences and opportunities.
• Participate in consultations facilitated and organized by UN Women with relevant stakeholders, including women’s organizations, to gather insights and agree on priority communication challenges, audiences and objectives.
• Identify and segment priority audiences and assess their perceptions, information needs and communication preferences to inform tailored communication approaches.
• Develop strategic narratives, key messages and counter-messages on gender equality, together with recommended communication approaches, messengers and channels for reaching different audiences.
• Identify key communication risks and potential backlash associated with the proposed narratives and messages and develop appropriate mitigation measures.
• Test the proposed narratives and messages with selected audiences to assess their clarity, relevance, credibility and resonance, and refine them based on the findings.
• Develop a Strategic Communications Framework consolidating the key findings and providing practical guidance on priority audiences, strategic narratives and messages, communication approaches, messengers and channels, and risks and mitigation measures.
• Develop campaign concept translating the tested narratives and messages into practical communication initiatives, including campaign objectives, target audiences, core concepts, proposed messaging, formats and channels, and potential messengers.
• Present the draft Strategic Communications Framework and campaign concept to UN Women and the Task Force on Women’s Leadership for validation and incorporate relevant feedback into the final deliverables.

Deliverables | Expected completion time (due day) | Payment Schedule (optional)

• Desk review and stakeholder consultations conducted, including a review of relevant research, reports and communication materials and consultations with UN Women, women’s organizations and other relevant stakeholders, to identify key narratives, communication challenges and opportunities, objectives and priority audiences. | by 16 November 2026 (25 %) | 50 % payment by December 2026
• Strategic narratives and key messages developed and tested with priority audiences, through at least three focus group discussions, with findings used to refine the messages and communication approaches. | By 30 November 2026 (25 %)
• Strategic Communications Framework and Campaign Concept developed, consolidating the analytical and testing findings into practical guidance on communication objectives, target audiences, tested narratives and messages, communication approaches and channels, accompanied by a campaign concept and plan setting out campaign objectives, target audiences, proposed messaging, formats and potential channels, as well as a visual concept and sample visual executions for the campaign. | By 20 January 2027 (25 %) | 50 % payment by February 2026
• Final Strategic Communications Framework submitted following presentation and validation with UN Women, incorporating relevant feedback and agreed revisions. | By 10 February 2027 (25 %)

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy;

As part of this assignment, no travel will be necessary.

Core Values

Integrity;

• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Functional Competencies

• Excellent analytical and research skills.
• Strong understanding of and commitment to gender equality and women's empowerment
• Excellent writing skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Strong Partnership Building Skills.

Education and Certification

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Communications, Strategic Communications, Media Studies, Public Relations, Marketing or a related field.
• A bachelor’s degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the master’s degree.

Experience

• At least five years with a master’s degree (seven years with a bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional experience in strategic communications, public communication, advocacy, media, campaign development, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience in developing communication strategies, narratives, key messages and/or communication campaigns.
• Experience working on gender equality, women’s rights, human rights, civil society or related social issues will be considered a strong asset.
• Experience working with civil society organizations, media, development partners and/or international organizations will be considered an asset.

Languages

• Fluency in English and Georgian is required.

Statements

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 greater 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.

Diversity and inclusion

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, color, 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 organizational 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.)