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 work in Ukraine focuses on supporting the government and civil society in advancing gender equality and implementation of the national and international commitments on gender equality and women’s human rights. UN Women Ukraine implements interventions on the following four thematic priorities: peace and security, humanitarian action, women’s economic empowerment; governance and participation in public life. UN Women works closely with the UN Country Team in integration of women’s rights and gender equality in all spheres of UN work.
In 2025, the world commemorated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), and the Government of Ukraine prepared its third National Action Plan (NAP) 1325 covering the period 2026-2030. WPS agenda is integral for Ukrainian humanitarian mine-action issues and implementation of the National Mine-Action Strategy (2024-2033), especially as the country has entered the fifth year of the full-scale aggression by the Russian Federation, and Ukraine is considered to be the most mine-contaminated country in the world. While UN Women Country Office (CO) continues to support the implementation of the WPS agenda, UN Women is implementing “She Demines” program since February 2025 – funded by the Governments of Canada and Croatia to enhance gender-mainstreaming and women empowerment into the humanitarian mine-action and emergency response sectors, led by the Ukrainian Ministry of Economy and Agriculture in partnership with the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior Affairs with a specific focus on the State Emergency Services (SES), the State Border Guard Service (SBGS), the National Police (NPU) and State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection (SSSCIP). To do this, UN Women seeks an experienced International Consultant to undertake a mid-term review of the Program.
The UN Women programme She Demines aims to bridge the labor gap in the humanitarian mine action and emergency service sectors by capacitating women and their organizations, state institutions, and focus on overcoming stereotypes and creating access to enabling employment opportunities by adjusting policies to facilitate and retain women within the national operators. At the same time, UN Women supports the Government of Ukraine in fulfilling its commitments to gender equality and women's empowerment. She Demines aims to strengthen women’s meaningful participation in the WPS Agenda in line with the commitments in Ukraine’s National Action Plan 1325 and National Mine Action Strategy of Ukraine (2024-2033), by stimulating more women into operational and leadership roles in the humanitarian mine action and shifting public perceptions about women’s participation in traditionally male-dominated emergency response sector. Together with its partners, She Demines fosters conditions for women’s professional and social development through various technical and capacity development trainings, data collection and evidence-based advocacy efforts.
She Demines is a UN Women Ukraine CO programme combining two complementary-funded projects delivered under a unified delivery framework and a single results matrix (overall duration: 40 months, March 2025 — June 2028):
1. "Ukrainian Women at the Frontlines of Demining and Recovery" – an inclusive programme that mobilizes women, changes gender stereotypes, and creates employment opportunities in demining and emergency services, funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development of Canada (Global Affairs Canada) – Peace & Stabilization Operations Program (28 February 2025 – 31 March 2027)
2. "Promoting Women’s Participation in Mine Action" – a transformative programme for women’s participation and leadership in mine action and emergency response, funded by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia (27 June 2025 – 26 June 2028).
Technical Partner: BBC Media Action (addressing the social norms and gender stereotypes component).
Programme partners at national level are:
- Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine (responsible for the implementation of the National Mine Action Strategy of Ukraine (2024 — 2033)
- Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine (responsible for the National Action Plan 1325)
- Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
- National Police of Ukraine
- State Emergency Service of Ukraine
- State Border Guard Service of Ukraine
- State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine.
Relevant Sustainable Development Goals:
5. Gender Equality
10. Reduced Inequalities
16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Related National Strategies and Action Plans:
- National Mine Action Strategy of Ukraine (2024 — 2033)
- National Action Plan for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security 2026 – 2030;
- UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework between the Government of Ukraine and UN–Ukraine Development Cooperation Framework 2025–2029 — Priority II Inclusive economic growth and Priority IV Peace, justice and strong institutions;
- State Strategy for Regional Development 2021 — 2027, and
- State Strategy for Ensuring Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men by 2030.
UN Women is seeking to hire an international consultant to lead the team of experts in Monitoring and evaluation of Development programming on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment to undertake the mid-term review (MTR) of the She Demines programme in Ukraine, implemented by UN Women and partners, for an assignment period of October 15, 2026 to February 15, 2027.
He/she will lead the team, supervise the national consultant(s), quality assurance and timeliness of the MTR.
This MTR will involve generating evidence, analysis, consultants, and collecting feedback from the ultimate, primary, and secondary beneficiaries of the program. It will entail meaningful engagement of the stakeholders involved at national, regional, and local levels.
This MTR will cover the programme implementation period from March 2025 (start of the programme) until December 2026.
The consultant will be reporting to WPS team leader and working closely with the Monitoring and Reporting Analyst.
1. Objectives, key questions and areas of inquiry
The MTR will support UN Women and national stakeholders’ strategic learning and decision-making for the remaining implementation period and will strengthen accountability to the Government of Canada and the Government of Croatia (co-funding donors), as well as to national counterparts.
The main users of this MTR report include the Government of Ukraine, National Mine Action stakeholders, UN Women Ukraine CO, the Government of Canada (Global Affairs Canada) and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia (co-funding donors), as well as UN counterparts involved in humanitarian mine action, emergency service and related recovery efforts.
The specific MTR objectives are:
- To document lessons learned and good practices;
[1] Case studies may include (but are not limited to): model of cooperation between stakeholders to facilitate employment of women in humanitarian mine action and emergency services, processes of engaging and hiring women established by programme partners, evident advances in the sector/ individual women trajectories, institutional commitment/ change of practices etc. [2] Case studies may include (but are not limited to): model of cooperation between stakeholders to facilitate employment of women in humanitarian mine action and emergency services, processes of engaging and hiring women established by programme partners, evident advances in the sector/ individual women trajectories, institutional commitment/ change of practices etc. At least 3 case studies are to be included to illustrate how and why the results were successfully achieved or hindered[1]. Deliverable: 2. First Draft Mid-Term Review Report (20–25 pages) 2.3 Validation Workshop, Final Evaluation Report and Dissemination The MTR team will prepare and facilitate a participatory validation workshop with the WPS programme team and relevant CO colleagues, and, as appropriate, key partners and stakeholders. The workshop will review preliminary findings, lessons learned, good practices and recommendations, and identify priorities for the remaining implementation period. The consultants will then incorporate feedback from the workshop into the final mid-term evaluation report, and dissemination material, including presentation and talking points for selected audiences (as agreed during inception phase). Deliverables: 3.Final Mid-Term Review Report (20–25 pages), including an executive summary and management response matrix; annexes added separately. 4. Dissemination materials, including a PowerPoint presentation and key talking points 3. Evaluation Team Composition and Requirements The MTR team will consist of an international team leader/International consultant, and one or two national consultants. Team leader and team members should have experience in conducting evaluations, gender equality, and Women, Peace and Security, and, ideally, in humanitarian Mine Action. The team leader is responsible for coordination during all phases of the review process, ensuring the quality of outputs and application of methodology, as well as timely delivery of all review products. The team members will support the team leader in all aspects of conducting the review, and contribute the knowledge of Ukrainian context, and logistical support when necessary. In further detail, the duties and responsibilities of the Team Leader/International Consultant are as follows:
- Conducting desk review and developing an inception report
- Leading the data collection, analysis, and reporting
- Overseeing and assuring quality of data collection
- Preparing meetings with the UN Women CO/ WPS team, collaborating closely with Monitoring and Reporting Analyst
- Leading the review of findings, conclusions, and recommendations with stakeholders.
5. Mid-term review approach: ethics, safety and data protection
The evaluation team must ensure informed consent, confidentiality and anonymity of respondents, particularly programme participants and beneficiaries, and apply a Do No Harm approach at all stages of data collection, analysis and reporting. All data collections involving personal or sensitive information must comply with applicable data protection standards. The evaluation team must adhere to UN Women’s policies on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) and safeguarding and must comply with UN security protocols and any movement restrictions in place for travel to Kyiv and the selected oblasts.
[1] https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/08/evaluation-policy-of-the-united-nations-entity-for-gender-equality-and-the-empowerment-of-women [2]https://www.unevaluation.org/sites/default/files/file_uploads/2024%20UNEG%20Guidance%20on%20Integrating%20Human%20Rights%20and%20Gender%20Equality%20in%20Evaluations%20-%20Final.pdf [4] https://www.oecd.org/dac/evaluation/encouraginggoodpracticeindevelopmentevaluation.htm [5] In the current context of Russo-Ukrainian war, surveys and focus group discussions with beneficiaries in Ukraine need to be conducted online due to security constraines. 6. Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel This is a home-based consultancy. The consultant will use their own equipment, internet access, and other necessary tools to undertake the assignment. As part of this assignment, there will be a maximum of 1 trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, and maximum 2 trip to regional centers.
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
- Methodological rigor
- Gender-responsive and human rights-based evaluative practice
- Ethical judgement, safeguarding and risk management
- Evidence synthesis and analytical judgement
Education and Certification
- Advanced degree in social sciences, development studies, gender studies, evaluation or a related field;
Experience
- Demonstrated experience (minimum 7 years) of leading evaluations of development or humanitarian programmes, preferably for UN agencies or other international organizations (two evaluation sample reports should be submitted);
- Substantive expertise in gender equality, women’s empowerment and the Women, Peace and Security agenda;
- Familiarity with humanitarian mine action or the emergency response sector is an asset;
- Experience conducting evaluations in conflict-affected or crisis settings, including application of safety, security and "Do No Harm" protocols;
- Strong analytical, facilitation, report-writing, presentation skills, and a track record of producing evaluation reports that meet UNEG quality standards (samples of previous work will be required).
Languages
- Fluency in English is required
Working knowledge of Ukrainian is an asset.
https://www.unevaluation.org/sites/default/files/file_uploads/2024%20UNEG%20Guidance%20on%20Integrating%20Human%20Rights%20and%20Gender%20Equality%20in%20Evaluations%20-%20Final.pdf
In the current context of Russo-Ukrainian war, surveys and focus group discussions with beneficiaries in Ukraine need to be conducted online due to security constraines.
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.)