Job Description

TERMS OF REFERENCE (to be completed by Hiring Office)

Hiring Office:

UNFPA Turkmenistan CO

Title:

Individual consultant (International) on providing technical assistance to strengthening the system and mechanisms to promote gender equality in legislation

Purpose of consultancy:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for reproductive health, dedicated to ensuring every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. By 2030, UNFPA aims to end the unmet need for family planning, preventable maternal deaths, and gender-based violence (GBV). In Turkmenistan, UNFPA plays a vital leadership role in promoting human rights and gender equality and provides technical support to the Government of Turkmenistan in the implementation of the national strategy on gender equality, National Action Plan on Gender Equality as well as in the implementation of national commitments regarding the SDGs and CEDAW.

The national data indicates 12% of women face physical or sexual abuse, the true scale remains hidden due to only 4.8% of survivors reported to seek help from formal institutions (2020); 42.7% of women justify partner violence and 70.6% reported experiencing controlling behaviours (2024). These alarming indicators highlight a critical lack of services and support to women and girls andto GBV survivors, in particular. Presently they are provided by National Red Crescent Society in the provinces and include helpline call services, psychological counselling, case management. In Ashgabat the services are provided by NGO Keyik okara and include Crisis Centre, Helpline call service and one shelter.

In the framework of the recent and previous constructive dialogues of Turkmenistan with the CEDAW Committee in 2024, recommendations were received in the field of improving national gender legislation. The Committee stressed the critical role of national legislation in ensuring the full implementation of the Convention. The Committee invited the Parliament of Turkmenistan to take the necessary steps, in accordance with its mandate, to implement the Concluding Observations between 2024 and the submission of the next periodic report in four years (Article on Legal framework for the prohibition of discrimination against women, paragraph 14 (a, b, c), 2024 and Article on Gender based violence against women, paragraph 28 (a), 2024). In particular, to amend the definition of discrimination against women in order to prohibit direct and indirect discrimination in the private and public spheres, to ensure that all discriminatory provisions against women in legislation and legislative amendments are repealed, and to apply a gender-sensitive, rather than a gender-neutral, approach in the implementation of its legislation. Article on Gender based violence against women, paragraph 28 (a), 2024) recommends to adopt, without further delay, legislation specifically defining and criminalizing all forms of gender-based violence against women, including domestic violence.

In 2018-2020 UNFPA provided technical assistance to the Parliament to support the review of international practices and development of a Model Law on family wellbeing (Byelorussian model) to address gender-based violence.

Since February 2025 jointly with the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) UNFPA

• updated the draft Model Law in accordance with international guidance and standards;
• organized a series of seminars for Parliament representatives to present the best international practices in the field of improving legislation from the standpoint of ensuring gender equality, practical mechanisms for the development, implementation and monitoring of laws in the field of gender equality and addressing GBV;
• held consultations with the Working Group of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Human Rights and shared international best practices on the subject;
• facilitated the participation of Mejlis representatives in Inter-Parliamentary Dialogues and conferences and study visits to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Philippines and Kyrgyzstan;
• organized and conducted a regional Inter Parliamentary Dialogue in cooperation with AFPPD and participation of CA countries as well as Georgia, Turkey, Macedonia and a number of other countries focusing on GBV and GBV legislation exchange in Turkmenistan.

To respond to the needs of the country a Work Plan for 2026-2027 was signed by the UNFPA Country Office and the Mejlis of Turkmenistan on providing “Support for strengthening the system and mechanisms to promote gender equality in legislation”. Within this Work Plan the Mejlis and UNFPA will jointly conduct activities aimed at:

(1) studying the implementation of the 2024 CEDAW Concluding Recommendation on the need to revise the existing legislation on ensuring family well-being;

(2) Developing and agreeing upon the terms of reference, forming and approving the Working Group, and drafting a work plan for improving legislation on family wellbeing in accordance with international standards;

(3) studying advanced international practices on legislation related to ensuring family well-being;

(4) conducting a review of the existing legislative and regulatory legal acts of Turkmenistan on family well-being;

(5) development and presentation of final recommendations for the improvement of legislation to ensure family well-being for further consideration;

(6) awareness raising among Mejlis Members and local governance responsible for the implementation of the policies related to ensuring family well-being on the endorsed legislation improvement recommendations.

In this regard, UNFPA seeks to hire an International consultant to provide technical assistance to the Mejlis of Turkmenistan to support the implementation of the state policy for the promotion of gender equality and improvement of the legislative framework on ensuring the well-being and human rights for women and men, girls and boys.

Scope of work:

(Description of services, activities, or outputs)

The functions of the International consultant include the following:

Support in drafting Legal Recommendations:

• Provide technical assistance in developing and formulating comprehensive legal recommendations, proposed statutory amendments, and regulatory corrections, incorporation of a formal definition of discrimination alongside other statutory revisions in alignment with the CEDAW Concluding Observations.
• Revisit the review of all existing legislative codes, regulatory legal acts, and active decrees in Turkmenistan concerning family dynamics, domestic protection, and welfare. Compile together and develop a commentary to the existing legislation in order to enable its implementation in the best interests of women.
• Compile, synthesize and present to the GBV Legislation Working Group advanced international best practices, case studies, and models of comparative legislation that successfully regulate family well-being and protection of women and girls from GBV from a human rights perspective.
• Prepare for and conduct a 3-day mission to the country to facilitate consultations and a targeted capacity building workshop for the GBV Legislation Working Group focusing on:
  • The Law to serve as a foundation setting up the standard, mandating support services and establishing MSR mechanism;
  • Support Services: The First Line of Defence and Safe Entry Point to empower the survivor to seek justice, feed evidence in the system and legal gaps;
  • The Justice System to hold the perpetrator accountable and use the state's power to enforce the boundaries set by the law by enforcing protection orders, preventing revictimization and enforcing accountability.
• Deliver ongoing, remote technical assistance and continuous legal advisory support to guide the precise drafting, formulation, and textual refinement of the proposed legislative amendments and to ensure that all drafted statutory proposals universally prioritize survivor safety, economic equity, non-discrimination, and modern parameters of domestic well-being, maintaining rigorous compliance with international human rights standards.

Advocacy support:

• Develop practical policy briefs, explanatory toolkits, and training packages detailing the social and legal impacts of the endorsed legislative improvements.
• Design technical sensitization sessions for the Mejlis to conduct with the local governance officials ( Archyns, Hyakimliks, Gengeshes) who are directly responsible for executing, monitoring, and enforcing GBV prevention and family well-being policies on the ground.

Expected Outcomes and Deliverables:

Deliverable 1 by August 15, 2026 – 8 days

• Report with formulated comprehensive legal recommendations, proposed statutory amendments, and regulatory corrections, incorporation of a formal definition of discrimination alongside other statutory revisions in alignment with the CEDAW Concluding Observations and commentary to the existing legislation in order to enable its implementation in the best interests of women.

Deliverable 2 by October 30, 2026 – 10 days

• of advanced international best practices, case studies, and models of comparative legislation that successfully regulate family well-being and protection of women and girls from GBV from a human rights perspective; programme, questionnaires and presentations for a 3-day mission to the country to facilitate consultations and a targeted capacity building workshop for the GBV Legislation Working Group.
• Conduct a 3-day mission and provide a report describing outcomes and recommendations for further actions.
• Finalized recommendations for the improvement of legislation to ensure family well-being for further consideration.

Deliverable 3 by December 15, 2026 – 10 days

• A package of practical, plain-language policy briefs, technical guides, and training toolkits explaining the legal, social, and structural impact of the endorsed legislative improvements for policymakers that actively account for the unique safety and protection needs of marginalized or remote women and girls.
• A finalized training methodology and session framework designed for the Mejlis to conduct with sub-national and local authorities ( Archyns, Hyakimliks, and Gengeshes). The guides must detail operational protocols for local-level execution, enforcement, and monitoring of the new family well-being and GBV prevention policies on the ground.
• Final consultancy report and recommendations for further integration.

Duration and working schedule:

The duration of the contract will be 28 working days from July 1, 2026 to December 15, 2026.

Place where services are to be delivered:

The place where services are to be delivered home based with one 3-day mission to the country in the period of September – November 2026.

Delivery dates and how work will be delivered ( e.g. electronic, hard copy etc.):

Dates for deliverables are provided under the section Scope of work. All written deliverables will be provided in an electronic format.

Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline:

The International Consultant will report to the UNFPA Programme Analyst on Gender and Youth and will provide an update biweekly on progress, challenges encountered, and support requirements.

Supervisory arrangements:

Supervision will be provided by the UNFPA Gender and Youth Program Analyst.

Expected travel:

Missions to the country are expected in the months of August - September for 5 days and will be agreed beforehand and travel costs will be covered according to the UNFPA’s Duty Travel Policy.

Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:

Education:

• Master's degree in Law, Human Rights, Law, Women’ Rights, Gender Studies or other related fields.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of experience in the development, implementation, monitoring, improvement of legislation and related advisory support, development and implementation of strategies to ensure gender equality through laws, appropriate action plans and the development and implementation of the necessary mechanisms.
• Good understanding and practice in capacity building.
• Work experience in the CIS or Central Asia and Turkmenistan is an advantage.
• Excellent written and spoken English skills. Knowledge of Russian is considered an asset.
• Excellent communication and training skills.
• Focus on results, ability to work under pressure, and execution of work on time.
• Cultural and gender sensitivity skills for working in a multicultural environment with national government stakeholders.

Inputs / services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner (e.g support services, office space, equipment), if applicable:

UNFPA will provide the Consultant with the available materials, information and reports. However, additional information will be identified by the Consultant through reviews, working with specialists and other means. Other relevant information or special conditions, if any:

The consultancy fee will be calculated based on the P4 level of the UN Salary Scale for Professional and higher categories effective 1 January 2026 and will be paid in two instalments upon successful completion of all deliverables:

1st instalment: upon completion of Deliverables 1, 2 by October 30, 2026 (18 working days).

2nd instalment: upon completion of Deliverable 3 by December 15, 2026 (10 working days).

COA to charge:

TKM06GEN, FPA90, GBVSERV, PU0074, 71205

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. Persons with disabilities, and individuals of other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity.