National consultant to provide social expertise for integrating/updating disciplines/learning units on prevention and response to violence against women and domestic violence into university curriculum plans

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, 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. 

The work of UN Women in Moldova is guided by its Country Strategic Note 2023-2027, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Moldova (2023-2027), UN Women Global Strategic Plan, National Programs and Strategies and aims to contribute to the gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Strategic Note focuses on four main areas: 1) Ending Violence against Women (EVAW); 2) Women’s Leadership and Governance; 3) Women’s Economic Empowerment; and 4) Humanitarian and Peace development nexus and UN Coordination on gender equality and women empowerment.

Violence against women is one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world. It knows no social, economic, or national boundaries and undermines the health, dignity, security, and autonomy of its victims. By ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) in 2021, the Republic of Moldova has undertaken the commitment to align its national legislation, policies, and institutional practices with the provisions of the Convention. This step represents a legal obligation to strengthen the national response to violence against women and domestic violence.

According to Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) recommendations[1], the authorities of the Republic of Moldova are urged to ensure systematic and mandatory initial and continuous training on the prevention and detection of all forms of violence against women regulated by the Istanbul Convention, including their digital manifestations, on equality between women and men, on the needs and rights of victims, and on the prevention of secondary victimization, for all professional groups, in particular law enforcement, the health sector, and the judiciary. 

Social workers hold a critical role in the EVAW response, ensuring survivor‑centered assistance and advocacy for systemic improvements. Their expertise is indispensable in bridging the social protection system with medical, legal, and educational interventions.

As noted by the Report on the Compatibility Analysis of the Legislation of the Republic of Moldova with the provisions of the Istanbul Convention, the institutionalization of the process of continuous training of specialists in various fields remains a challenge for the competent authorities, as it was  ensured predominantly by NGOs and has a sporadic and fragmented character. Even though some professional training curricula have included topics on the prevention and combating of violence against women and domestic violence, these remain insufficient for the development of appropriate competencies in the prevention and response to EVAW/DV.
Thus, one of its recommendations refers to the mandatory inclusion of topics on the prevention and combating of violence in study programmes and training curricula.

Between February and March 2026, ANPCV trained 300 multidisciplinary team members in Nisporeni, Călărași, and Taraclia using a unified curriculum developed with UN Women and UNICEF support and EU funding, as part of the National Program aiming to train about 7,000 specialists nationwide in preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

Recognizing that attitudes, beliefs, and behavioral patterns are shaped from an early age, educational institutions hold a pivotal role in promoting gender equality and human rights. In this regard, article 14 of the Istanbul Convention requires the development of teaching materials that foster equality between women and men, challenge gender stereotypes, encourage mutual respect, promote non‑violent conflict resolution in interpersonal relationships, address gender‑based violence against women, and uphold the right to personal integrity.

A rapid assessment conducted by the National Agency for the Prevention and Combating of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (ANPCV) on the integration of topics related to the prevention of violence against women within higher education institutions in the Republic of Moldova concluded that this process is still under development, with significant potential for expansion and consolidation. The analysis highlights a positive trend in the inclusion of such themes in study programmes in law, social work, psychology, and medicine, with particular emphasis on victim protection and effective intervention. 

With reference to the relevant course units, it was concluded that the approach is interdisciplinary, with variations depending on the institution and specialization. The topics are predominantly addressed in the legal field, through courses such as criminal law, contravention law, criminology, and victimology; in the psychological and social field, through judicial psychology, deviant behavior, and social assistance; in the medical field, through forensic medicine and medico‑legal interventions in cases of violence; and in the pedagogical field, through parental education, pedagogical ethics, and education for society. While this interdisciplinary presence is evident, diversification into technical, economic, and engineering programmes remains a challenge.

Simultaneously, the assessment also underlines the need for a strategic, coherent, and interdisciplinary approach to ensure uniform integration of these topics into the national curriculum. A key element of this effort is the thorough preparation of specialists who must benefit from solid initial and continuous training. This will contribute to the establishment of a sustainable educational framework that addresses both current and future societal needs. Adequate training of future professionals will ensure a professional and effective response to gender‑based violence, thereby fulfilling the international commitments of the Republic of Moldova.

In the academic year 2025-2026, the higher education network in the Republic of Moldova consists of 16 institutions, including 11 public universities (8 located in Chișinău, and 1 each in Bălți, Cahul, and Comrat) and 5 private universities (4 in Chișinău and 1 in Taraclia)[1].This diverse institutional landscape provides a strategic opportunity to integrate survivor‑centered, evidence‑based unit content on the prevention and response to violence against women and domestic violence across multiple disciplines. Inserting such modules/content unit into university curricula will strengthen the role of higher education institutions in preparing future professionals to effectively identify and respond to cases of violence against women and domestic violence.

ANPCV has initiated the integration across multiple disciplines of topics on the prevention of violence into higher education in the Republic of Moldova. This initiative is supported by UN Women and UNICEF, thereby strengthening national EVAW efforts to align with international standards and the commitments undertaken under the Istanbul Convention.

In this context, UN Women Moldova seeks anational consultant to provide social expertise for integrating/updating disciplines/learning units on prevention and response to violence against women and domestic violence into university curriculum plans, which align with international standards, national legislation, and the commitments under the Istanbul Convention.

It shall be noted that the implementation of the tasks will require close collaboration with two other National Consultants, who will provide complementary legal and medical expertise. Additionally, the National Consultant with social area expertise will ensure coordination and leadership throughout the process.

The selected consultant is responsible for ensuring the successful completion of the tasks, as follows:

1. →Assess the current university disciplines/modules that address the prevention and response to violence against women and domestic violence, with a particular focus on the social field, and provide practical, evidence-based recommendations for improvement.
2. →Develop and/or revise curricula/modules/learning units on the prevention and response to violence against women and domestic violence for higher education institutions, ensuring alignment with international standards, national legislation, and best practices in legal education.
3. →Facilitate consultations with different interested key stakeholders, including university representatives, specialists, and institutional partners to validate the findings from the Analysis Report, proposed revisions and incorporate feedback into the curricula.
4. →Finalize and present the updated and/or new curricula/modules/learning units and supporting materials (e.g., methodological support for curricula, but not limited to) in a clear, structured format suitable for institutional adoption.
5. →Deliver a Training of Trainers (TOT) session for up to 30 representatives from 15 universities, designed to build capacity for applying the revised curricula/modules/ learning units on prevention and response to violence against women and domestic violence. The TOT will equip participants with the skills to cascade training to other university representatives and integrate the revised curricula/modules/learning units into their institutions. Pre-and post-training questionnaires assessing the knowledge of participants will be developed and conducted as part of the overall performance evaluation of the trainers.
6. →Develop a Final Report on the assignment, summarizing lessons learned, challenges, and recommendations for future capacity‑building opportunities.

The National Consultant with social expertise will provide overall coordination and leadership throughout the process and will be responsible for consolidating and submitting the deliverables resulting from collaborative efforts with the National Consultants providing legal and medical expertise.

All written deliverables should be agreed with UN Women, UNICEF and ANPCV, and be provided in Romanian, in electronic copy. Note that all materials, including images will remain property of UN Women and cannot be used without UN Women’s permission.

This is a home-based consultancy. 

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

• 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: 

• Capacity to critically review academic/training materials and to provide practical, evidence-based recommendations for improvement.
• Proven ability to facilitate consultations and collaborative processes with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to perform a variety of standard specialized and non-specialized tasks and work processes that are fully documented, researched, recorded, and reported. 
• Use Information Technology effectively as a tool and resource. 
• Strong focus on achieving deliverables within agreed timelines, with responsiveness to feedback and flexibility to adapt outputs based on stakeholder input.

• Master’s degree in social sciences, or a related field for the assignment.
• A first-level university degree in combination with 2 additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. 
• Additional training and certification in the field of human rights, ending violence against women/domestic violence, or related fields would be an advantage. 

• At least 7 years of proven professional experience and demonstrated activity in area related to ending violence against women/domestic violence, with a connection to the social protection or a related field is required.
• At least 5 years of experience in curriculum and/or training courses development/revision, drafting legislative framework or conducting research which have made a significant contribution to public policy, programmes or learning in the field of social protection and/or women’s rights is required.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement and consultation processes, including working with universities and state authorities/institutions, is an advantage.
• Experience working with international organizations is an advantage. 

• Fluency in written and oral English and Romanian is required. 
• Working knowledge of Russian is an advantage.

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.

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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.