UN Women National Consultant – Country Support on Women, Peace and Security and Defense Institutions, Malaysia (retainer)

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 UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) advances Women, Peace and Security (WPS), climate,, inclusive governance, and emerging security issues including climate, peace and security, cyber and artificial intelligence (AI). UN Women works closely with governments, defence institutions, civil society organisations, and regional bodies such as ASEAN.

UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) is implementing the project “Securing Peace, Advancing Equality: Women, Peace and Security in the Indo-Pacific” (2026–2028) in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Timor-Leste and Viet Nam. The projects seeks to support defence institutions in the project countries on integrating WPS and emerging issues into crisis response and inclusive capacities. 

In Malaysia, the project requires sustained national-level support to enable effective country implementation of the MTCP project, including coordination with government and defence institutions, contextualisation of regional approaches, and continuity across the project. 

Where feasible, the consultant’s work will align with national policy frameworks, including Malaysia’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, while remaining focused on practical implementation support, institutional engagement, and knowledge continuity rather than policy development. The consultant will contribute to both project contextualisation and analysis, and civil–military dialogue, applied learning, and outcome capture.

Participation in selected regional convenings may be requested.

Under the supervision of the MTCP Project Manager, and in close collaboration with UN Women Country Offices and defence partners, the consultant will:

• Contribute UN Women in engagement with Malaysian government and defence institutions relevant to WPS, gender-responsive leadership, and civil–military cooperation.
• Provide contextual analysis on institutional roles, coordination dynamics, and political or operational sensitivities.
• Contribute preparation and follow-up of consultations and meetings.
• Produce short analytical notes, scoping inputs, and internal briefings to inform monitoring and evaluation. 

• Contribute preparation and facilitation of national civil–military dialogues and sensitisation sessions, in coordination with UN Women and specialised technical experts.
• Provide advisory inputs on integrating WPS and gender-responsive approaches into civil–military cooperation and disaster response.
• Contribute to outcome mapping, documentation, and knowledge capture for use in future UN Women and defence-institution training.

• Prepare concise documentation, synthesis notes, and outcome summaries.
• Ensure continuity of institutional memory and stakeholder engagement.

This is a home-based consultancy. If travel is required, it will be facilitated in accordance with UN Women policies and procedures.

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: 

• Strong interpersonal, teamwork and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and proactively solve problems.
• Capacity to plan, prioritise and deliver tasks on time.
• Capacity to engage with national and international staff, provide clear feedback, and maintain effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Commitment to continual learning and knowledge sharing to support local capacity development.
• Ability to research, analyse, and present complex information clearly.

• Master’s degree or equivalent in peace and security, gender studies, international relations, public policy, or related fields is required.
• A first-level university degree with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible work experience at the national or international level in gender equality, Women, Peace and Security (WPS), civil society cooperation, disaster risk reduction, climate security, or related fields, including experience engaging with government institutions, defence actors, and/or regional stakeholders in Malaysia or Southeast Asia.
• Demonstrated experience working with Malaysian government structures, including defence and security institutions required.
• Strong familiarity with civil society networks in Malaysia required.
• Proven experience on Women, Peace and Security and gender equality in security-sector contexts is desirable.
• Experience related to disaster response, humanitarian coordination, climate-security, or emerging security issues (e.g. AI) is an asset.
• Experience producing analytical or researching products on gender-related issues is an asset.
• Experience delivering trainings is an asset.
• Experience working with public officials at central and local levels is an asset.
• Experience working with civil society and academia is an asset.

• Proficiency in English (oral and written) is required.
• Bahasa Malaysia strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of other UN working languages is an asset.

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.

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.