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.
Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women 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. Placing women’s rights at the centre of its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to translate commitments on gender equality into action, providing coherent support to Member States while building effective partnerships with civil.
Across the Europe and Central Asia region, 10 countries/territories are at different stages of the European Union accession process. Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Moldova and Ukraine are actively engaged in accession negotiations (with clusters open and some chapters provisionally closed), while North Macedonia and Türkiye remain in the negotiation process. Bosnia and Herzegovina has candidate status, Kosovo* is a potential candidate, and Georgia retains candidate status although its accession process is currently stalled. While the pace and scope of reforms vary across the region, all are undertaking reforms to strengthen democratic governance, the rule of law and fundamental rights.
The EU enlargement process provides an important framework for advancing democratic governance, fundamental rights, gender equality, and inclusive policymaking. The European Commission recognises that a vibrant civil society contributes to fulfilling the conditions for EU membership by enabling citizens to participate in setting the political agenda, strengthening public ownership of reforms, and influencing policy and decision-making processes.
The European Commission's EU Strategy for Civil Society (2025) 2 recognises that, in the context of enlargement and accession, fostering an enabling environment and ensuring a stronger, more meaningful role for civil society organisations (CSOs) are essential for advancing democratic governance and the EU integration process. Under the revised enlargement methodology, candidate countries are required to develop a Roadmap on the Functioning of Democratic Institutions (FDI), which outlines specific actions to strengthen the enabling environment for civil society and promote meaningful civil society participation in policymaking and democratic governance.
The Strategy commits the European Commission to further strengthen civil society engagement in the enlargement process by institutionalising and standardising in-country consultation of CSOs in the preparation of meetings of relevant bodies under the Association Agreements, as well as their follow-up and monitoring. It also encourages Member States and enlargement countries to strengthen institutional mechanisms for civil society participation in line with Commission Recommendation (EU) 2023/2836 3 on the effective participation of civil society organisations in public policymaking.
The Reform and Growth Facilities (for Western Balkans, Moldova and Ukraine Facility) have introduced a new performance-based approach to supporting accession-related reforms. Reform Agendas are monitored through agreed milestones and indicators, creating additional opportunities for structured engagement of civil society in monitoring, accountability and policy dialogue. Recent recommendations of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) call for civil society participation to become a structural element of the governance of the Reform and Growth Facilities 4 , including through inclusive monitoring committees, transparent reporting and institutionalised dialogue with public authorities.
Women's rights organisations have played a critical role in advancing gender equality, monitoring public policy and promoting democratic governance across the enlargement region. Their expertise is particularly relevant for accession reforms related to fundamental rights, rule of law, public administration reform, employment and social policy, anti-discrimination, social inclusion, peacebuilding and gender-responsive governance. However, their participation in accession-related consultation and monitoring mechanisms remains uneven and often ad hoc, limiting opportunities for women's perspectives to systematically inform reform priorities and implementation.
Within this framework, UN Women ECARO aims to strengthen the participation of WROs in EU accession processes by assessing their engagement, providing targeted capacity-building, facilitating regional exchanges and policy dialogue, and supporting evidence-based advocacy. These efforts will contribute to establishing a sustainable regional platform for WRO engagement in EU accession and policy processes while strengthening the resilience and advocacy capacities of women's organisations across the region .
Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work
The purpose of the consultancy is to conduct a regional mapping and assessment of:
- national consultation, coordination and monitoring mechanisms related to EU accession;
- the extent to which gender equality and women’s participation are integrated into these mechanisms;
Under the overall supervision of UN Women ECARO Gender and Good Governance Specialist and in close coordination with participating UN Women Country Offices, the consultant will undertake the following tasks:
Task 1. Develop the methodology
- Develop the methodology and data collection template for mapping official government mechanisms for civil society participation in the EU accession process across the participating countries and territories.
- Agree the methodology and mapping template with UN Women prior to commencing the assignment.
Task 2. Map official government mechanisms for civil society participation in the EU accession process
Conduct a mapping of official government mechanisms established for civil society engagement in the EU accession process across the 10 participating countries and territories .
The mapping shall include, where applicable:
- official government mechanisms for civil society participation in the EU accession process;
- sectoral and negotiation working groups;
- public participation mechanisms related to EU accession reforms;
- monitoring mechanisms established under the Reform and Growth Facility, including monitoring committees or equivalent structures;
- other official mechanisms supporting civil society participation in EU accession-related policy development, implementation and monitoring.
Information shall be collected through a desk review and consultations with the relevant ministries, government institutions responsible for EU integration and other competent public authorities, in close cooperation and coordination with UN Women Country Offices.
Task 3. Prepare the mapping report
Prepare a regional mapping report containing findings for each participating country and territory.
For each identified mechanism, the report should include, as applicable:
- legal or institutional basis;
- responsible institution(s);
- mandate and purpose;
- organisational structure;
- composition and membership;
- participation of civil society organisations;
- participation of women's rights organisations (WROs) and women-led organisations (WLOs) including organisations representing young women, women peacebuilders and women experiencing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, where information is available;
- frequency of meetings and working modalities.
The report should present factual information only and should not include analysis, conclusions or recommendations.
Task 4. Validate the findings
Organise and facilitate an online validation meeting with representatives of participating UN Women Country Offices to present the draft findings and verify the accuracy and completeness of the information collected.
Revise the report, as necessary, based on the comments received during the validation process and submit the final mapping report to UN Women ECARO.
Deliverable Description Indicative Timeline
1. Methodology and mapping template
Methodology, workplan and standardized data collection template for mapping official government mechanisms for civil society participation in the EU accession process across the participating countries and territories.
15 September 2026
2. Draft mapping report
Draft regional mapping report covering the 10 participating countries and territories, presenting factual information on official government mechanisms for civil society participation in the EU accession process, including Reform and Growth Facility monitoring mechanisms (or equivalent mechanisms), where applicable. The report should describe the legal or institutional basis, responsible institutions, mandate, organisational structure, composition, participation of civil society organisations, participation of women's rights organisations (where applicable), and working modalities of each identified mechanism.
15 October 2026
3. Online validation meeting
Organisation and facilitation of one online validation meeting with representatives of UN Women ECARO and participating Country Offices to present the draft findings and validate the information collected.
20 October 2026
4. Final mapping report
Final regional mapping report incorporating comments received from UN Women following the validation meeting.
25 October 2026
Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel
This is a home-based consultancy.
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.
Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework:
Functional Competencies:
- Demonstrated knowledge of gender equality, women's rights and gender mainstreaming, including experience integrating gender perspectives into public policy and governance processes.
- Demonstrated knowledge of the European Union enlargement process, including the accession framework, governance and institutional mechanisms, and civil society participation in EU integration processes.
Required Qualifications
Education and Certification:
- Master's degree (or equivalent) in Law, Political Science, European Studies, Sociology, Public Administration, International Relations, Gender Studies, Social Sciences, or another relevant field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
- At least 5 years of progressively responsible professional experience in gender equality, women's rights, governance, democratic development, EU integration, or related fields.
- Proven professional experience working in one or more countries of the Western Balkans, Türkiye and/or the Eastern Partnership region, with strong understanding of the regional political and institutional context.
- Demonstrated experience working with civil society organisations, including women's rights organisations and women-led organisations.
- Experience conducting desk research, mapping exercises and preparing high-quality analytical or technical reports for international organisations, governments or development partners.
- Good understanding of participatory governance mechanisms and institutional arrangements for civil society engagement in public policymaking is an asset.
Previous experience working with UN agencies, the European Union or other international organisations is an asset.
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Languages:
- Fluency in English (written and oral) is required.
Knowledge of one or more languages spoken in the EU enlargement region is an asset.
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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.)
Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process .
