Call for Applications:  UN Women: International Consultant on Violence Against Women Survey (Consultant Contract)

Application Deadline: May 18, 2026 (5:00 PM)

Background

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 are what UN Women works for, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. Currently, the UN Women Albania Country Office is implementing its Strategic Note 2022–2026, which aims to ensure that all women and girls enjoy and exercise their human rights in a gender-equal society and meaningfully contribute to Albania’s sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development and EU integration. Several initiatives that address violence against women and promote gender statistics are being implemented by UN Women within this framework, including the Sida contribution to the Implementation of the UN Women Strategic Note 2022–2026, the UN Joint Programme Ending Violence Against Women in Albania Phase II (funded by Sida), and the “EU4Gender Equality II Gender Equality Facility in Albania” (funded by the European Union). Close collaboration with national statistical institutions is aimed at by UN Women across these initiatives to strengthen the production, availability, and use of gender statistics across all areas of gender equality and inform evidence-based policy making.

Since the adoption of Agenda 2030, one of the first countries to conduct a comprehensive prevalence survey on violence against women (VAW) in 2018 was Albania. In 2026–2027, the next round of the VAW survey will be conducted. One of the priority activities in Albania’s Multi-Annual Programme on Official Statistics 2022–2026, which defines the official statistical operations to be carried out in the country, is the VAW prevalence survey. The Memorandum of Understanding signed between UN Women and INSTAT in 2024 on strengthening gender statistics further supports its implementation, providing the broader cooperation framework for advancing the production and use of gender statistics in Albania. A significant milestone was reached in January 2026 when Albania adopted the new Law on the Prevention and Protection from Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, broadening the scope of protection beyond domestic violence to address all forms of violence against women, including psychological, economic, sexual, and technology-facilitated violence.

In accordance with the methodology of the 2027 wave of the EU Survey on Gender-Based Violence (EU-GBV), the surveys will be implemented, ensuring the regular production of EU-wide, comparable data to meet policy needs and to support monitoring of the Istanbul Convention and compliance with Directive (EU) 2024/1385. In line with the European Statistical System (ESS) agreement, the surveys will be conducted. Globally agreed methodological and ethical standards and guidelines such as the WHO Multi-Country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence, the EU-Wide Survey on Gender-Based Violence, and the United Nations Statistical Commission Guidelines for Producing Statistics on Violence against Women: Statistical Surveys will also be followed.

Internationally comparable data on the various forms of violence experienced by women in Albania will be generated by the survey. Critical for monitoring SDG indicator 5.2 on violence against women, such data will directly contribute to the Gender Equality Index (additional domain of violence) produced by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE). Albania’s capacity to meet its EU accession reporting obligations in the field of social statistics and gender equality will also be strengthened. Incorporation of relevant VAW indicators and definition/frameworks put forward by the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) 57th session, the Declaration on Elimination of Violence Against Women (DEVAW), and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) General Recommendation #19 is also important. Recruitment of an international expert to support the Albanian National Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) to design and implement the VAW prevalence survey is being sought by the UN Women Albania Country Office in this context. Revision of the survey methodology (including the sample, data collection tools, fieldwork procedures, etc.) will be supported by the international consultant, and technical guidance at all stages of the implementation of the study, from the design phase to data analysis and dissemination, will be provided.

Job Information

• Job Identification: 33779
• Job Schedule: Full time
• Location: Tirana, Albania
• Job Function: Ending violence against women
• Initial Contract Duration: Up to 50 working days between June 2026 – September 2027

Description of Responsibilities / Scope of Work

Under the overall supervision of the Head of Programmes and in close collaboration with the Research and Data Analyst and the EVAW Project Manager, technical and methodological support for the preparation, implementation, and analysis of the national Violence Against Women (VAW) Survey in Albania will be provided by the international expert as follows:

Overall technical and methodological leadership

• Technical and methodological survey activities supporting INSTAT in the preparation, revision, and implementation of the national VAW survey, building on the 2018 prevalence survey and aligned with the EU Survey on Gender-Based Violence (EU-GBV) methodology, will be led
• Full compliance with Eurostat methodological requirements, Directive (EU) 2024/1385, the Istanbul Convention, and UN guidelines will be ensured

Survey design and methodology

• The development of the sample strategy and design will be reviewed and guided
• The adaptation and validation of the survey questionnaire will be supported, ensuring alignment with the EU-GBV core questionnaire and international comparability
• All survey instruments and materials, including advance letters and respondent information materials, fieldwork protocols, enumerator instructions, and manuals, will be reviewed and supported in their preparation

Training and capacity building

• Support for INSTAT in developing and/or updating the ethical protocol for the VAW survey, in line with Eurostat, ESS, WHO, and UN Women guidelines, will be provided
• A comprehensive training package for field staff will be developed with support to INSTAT
• A Training of Trainers for INSTAT staff responsible for the VAW survey will be designed and delivered

Stakeholder consultations

• Planning and conducting consultations with national stakeholders at key stages of the survey will be supported by INSTAT

Pilot testing

• Guidance on the pilot testing / field testing of survey instruments and procedures will be provided
• Pilot results will be reviewed, and recommendations for adjustments to tools, protocols, and training materials will be provided

Following the pilot survey, revision of the questionnaire and all related materials, incorporating lessons learned, will be carried out by INSTAT. Training of field staff and full-scale data collection will then be conducted in November–December 2026.

After fieldwork, preparation of the raw dataset and data cleaning (removal of duplicates and completeness checks) will be carried out by INSTAT. Over the period August 2026 to March 2027, these activities will be implemented.

Data processing and quality assurance

• Technical support to INSTAT on data processing, including data editing, validation, weighting procedures, and documentation of data processing steps, will be provided
• Adherence to Eurostat quality standards throughout data management and processing will be ensured

Tabulation and analysis

• Development of a tabulation plan, including the calculation of core EU-GBV indicators, will be supported by INSTAT
• Comparability and trend analysis with the 2018 VAW survey will be supported
• In close cooperation with the INSTAT team, the draft analytical report will be co-led in its preparation

Dissemination

• Presentation and dissemination of survey findings to different groups of stakeholders, including policymakers, technical audiences, and partners, including participation in the survey launch event, will be supported and participated in

Deliverables

Deliverable 1: Inception Report

• Working methodology, detailed workplan coordinated with INSTAT and UN Women
• Timeline: By 11 June 2026 (3 working days)

Deliverable 2: Validated survey methodology and data collection instruments

• Technical support provided for sample design, development of survey questionnaire, ethical protocols and other survey instruments, ensuring compliance with EU-GBV methodology and Eurostat standards
• Timeline: By 22 June 2026 (7 working days)

Deliverable 3: Consultation with national stakeholders (National Reference Group on VAW Survey)

• Inputs on concept note, workshop agenda, summary of main recommendations to inform the survey objective and methodology to address national priorities on VAW response and prevention
• Timeline: By 29 June 2026 (2 working days)

Deliverable 4: Training package for survey team

• Guidance and inputs on training package for field staff and delivery of Training of Trainers for INSTAT staff
• Timeline: By 10 July 2026 (8 working days, including 3 working days mission)

Deliverable 5: Pre-test/pilot survey

• Summary of key recommendations for adjustments of tools, protocols, and training materials
• Timeline: By 30 July 2026 (8 working days, including 3 working days mission)

Deliverable 6: Data processing and quality assurance support

• Technical support for data editing, validation, weighting, and quality assurance in line with Eurostat standards, including preparation of the final dataset for Eurostat
• Timeline: By 15 July 2027 (8 working days)

Deliverable 7: Tabulation plan and draft analytical report

• Tabulation plan, calculation of core EU-GBV indicators, comparability analysis with 2018 survey, and co-led draft analytical report
• Timeline: By 30 July 2027 (7 working days)

Deliverable 8: Final report developed

• Finalization of the report in close collaboration with INSTAT and UN Women and relevant stakeholders in English, with relevant annexes in the same language as the report, and presented to relevant stakeholders in Albania with a dedicated PowerPoint presentation
• Timeline: By 30 September 2027 (7 working days)

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel: A home-based consultancy is offered for this position. As part of this assignment, a maximum of up to four trips to Tirana, Albania, will be required.

Competencies

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:

• Knowledge of gender equality and women’s empowerment issues
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Competencies in coordination, planning, and teamwork
• A commitment to quality products and deadlines

Education and Certification

• An advanced degree (Master’s) in Social Sciences, Gender Studies, Development Studies, Human Rights, Sociology, or a related field, and/or senior academic experience is required
• In lieu of the advanced university degree, a first-level university degree in Social Sciences, Gender Studies, Development Studies, or Human Rights in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted

Experience

• A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible and relevant experience in the fields of human rights, social inclusion, and/or GBV/VAW is required
• A minimum of seven years of experience in research and statistical processes in the area of GBV/VAW is required
• Experience in leading at least 2 household surveys on GBV/VAW at international and/or national level is required
• Demonstrated experience with Eurostat, EIGE, and FRA methodological requirements is required, including direct experience in implementing internationally recognized survey methodologies for measuring the prevalence of gender-based violence and violence against women, the WHO Multi-Country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence against Women, and/or other comparable international survey frameworks
• Previous training/facilitation expertise in conducting household surveys on GBV/VAW or related issues is required
• Proven experience in the use of statistical software (STATA, SPSS) is required

Languages

• Fluency in English is required

Statements

The United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, in July 2010. As part of the UN reform agenda, the creation of UN Women came about, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. 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, is merged and built upon.

Diversity and Inclusion: A diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect is committed to being created by UN Women. Regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law, UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes. On the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity, and organizational need, all employment is decided.

If any reasonable accommodation is needed to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

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, is maintained by UN Women. Adherence to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel will be expected of all selected candidates, and rigorous reference and background checks will therefore be undergone. (Verification of academic credential(s) and employment history will be included in background checks. Provision of additional information to conduct a background check may be required of selected candidates.)

Note: Ensuring that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed is the responsibility of applicants. Disqualification from the recruitment and selection process may result if all sections are not completed.

How to Apply

Application Link: Click here (search for Job Identification 33779)

For More Information: Visit the UN Women Careers Page Search for Job Identification 33779 – International Consultant on Violence Against Women Survey, Tirana, Albania