UN Women: Gender Responsive Journalism, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, National Consultant

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 exists to advance women’s rights, gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. As the lead United Nations entity on gender equality, we shift laws, institutions, social norms and services to close the gender gap and build an equal world for all women and girls. We keep the rights of women and girls at the centre of global progress – always, everywhere. Because gender equality is not just what we do. It is who we are.

Gender inequality in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is severe, with the country ranked 169 out of 170 globally. Women and girls face high rates of gender-based violence (GBV) and low literacy levels. The DHS 2016-2018 indicates that 54% of women have experienced GBV in the past year, and nearly 23% of women aged 15-49 have no formal education.  Structural barriers, cultural norms, and weak protection systems worsen the situation. Tribal conflicts, sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV), and small arms proliferation, especially in the Highlands, increase violence. Despite policies to reduce discrimination, comprehensive strategies are urgently needed to address these issues and achieve gender equality. Additionally, ongoing conflicts have displaced communities, further exacerbating GBV incidents. The persistence of these challenges highlights the critical need for targeted interventions to promote social stability and human rights, and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 on gender equality, SDG 10 on Reducing Inequality, and SDG 16 on Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions. 

Media and journalism play a critical role in shaping public understanding of gender equality, violence against women and girls, sorcery accusation-related violence, women’s leadership, and the rights and dignity of survivors and affected communities.

Responsible, ethical, and gender-responsive journalism can help challenge harmful stereotypes, promote accurate reporting, amplify the voices of women and girls in all their diversity, and help prevent violence and discrimination. Conversely, insensitive or inaccurate media coverage can reinforce stigma, victim-blaming, sensationalism and harmful gender norms. Strengthening the capacity of journalists, editors, bloggers and media practitioners is therefore essential to promoting public awareness, accountability and positive social change.

Building on the gains of the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls in Papua New Guinea, UN Women, UNFPA and UNOPS are implementing the joint initiative entitled “Soim Wokabout: EU Gender-

Based Violence Referral Pathways Programme”, funded by the European Union. The programme aims to reduce the incidence of gender-based violence in target communities, including in and out of schools, in Eastern Highlands Province and the National Capital District. It seeks to strengthen access to essential services, improve advocacy and agency of civil society and communities, and promote the engagement of community leaders, male advocates and influential actors in changing discriminatory social norms, gender stereotypes, GBV and harmful practices.

As part of this work, UN Women seeks to engage a National Consultant for Gender-Responsive Journalism to support the design, preparation and facilitation of capacity-building interventions for media practitioners in Papua New Guinea. The consultant will develop an inception report, prepare Terms of Reference and related documents for two workshops, one in Port Moresby and one in Goroka, develop a practical workshop package, facilitate the workshops, and provide recommendations for future media engagement on gender-responsive journalism.

The consultant will work under the overall leadership of the UN Women Country Representative and the structural supervision of the Deputy Country Representative. The consultant will report directly on day-to-day operations to the Advocacy Specialist and work in close coordination with the Soim Wokabout Programme Technical Coordinator and relevant programme and communications colleagues.

The consultant will provide technical support to strengthen the capacity of journalists, editors, and media practitioners and to report on gender equality, women’s rights, gender-based violence, and related issues in an ethical, accurate, survivor-centered, and gender-responsive manner.

The assignment will include a desk review, stakeholder consultations, the development of an inception report, and the preparation of Terms of Reference and related documents for two workshops (one in Port Moresby and one in Goroka). Additionally, the consultant will design a dedicated workshop module, facilitate both workshop sessions with UN Women's technical support, and submit a comprehensive final report and strategic recommendations upon completion of the workshops.

• Review relevant UN Women, UN and partner resources on gender-responsive journalism, ethical reporting on gender-based violence, survivor-centred communication, gender-sensitive language and media reporting standards.
• Review relevant programme documents under the Soim Wokabout Programme and related EVAWG communication priorities.
• Conduct preliminary consultations with UN Women staff and selected stakeholders to understand workshop needs, target participants and expected outcomes.
• Identify key issues and capacity gaps in media reporting on gender equality, GBV, SARV, women’s leadership, and human rights in Papua New Guinea.
• Develop and submit an inception report detailing the proposed methodology, work plan, timeline, tools, stakeholder consultation approach, and proposed structure for the two workshops.

• Develop a training module to support the training of media practitioners and community radio journalists in gender-sensitive reporting, including the use of inclusive language and the avoidance of gender stereotypes.
• Develop and finalise workshop agendas for the National Capital District and Eastern Highlands, including session flow, timing, facilitation methods, and required materials.
• Prepare session outlines, facilitation notes, practical exercises and case study discussion prompts.
• Develop pre- and post-workshop assessment tools and participant feedback forms.
• Prepare key messages on gender-responsive journalism, guidance on ethical reporting on GBV, and survivor-centred communication.
• Provide recommendations for adapting content to national and provincial media contexts.

• Identify relevant media stakeholders and potential participants for the workshops.
• Liaise with UN Women, programme partners and relevant stakeholders to refine the workshop design.
• Provide technical inputs to ensure the workshops are inclusive, culturally sensitive and aligned with UN Women’s mandate and communications standards.
• Support planning discussions for the two workshops in Port Moresby and Goroka.
• Coordinate with UN Women on workshop logistics, participant confirmation, facilitation arrangements and technical support requirements ahead of the two workshops.

• Support media institutions to adopt and implement gender-responsive editorial policies 
• Support media institutions with creating newsroom guidelines for reporting on GBV, SARV, and VAW that prioritise dignity, accuracy and survivor safety.
• Advocate for gender equality policies within media institutions (e.g., equal job opportunities, anti-harassment policies).
• Document change stories reported by media practitioners and journalists on SGBV and SARV issues.
• Support for monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) processes.
• Contribution to regional and global policy dialogues through evidence-based recommendation

• Facilitate one Gender-Responsive Journalism Workshop in Port Moresby, National Capital District, and another in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province, with technical support from UN Women.
• Deliver workshop sessions using participatory and practical methods, including group discussions, case studies, exercises, scenario-based learning and reflection sessions.
• Guide participants in ethical, gender-responsive, and survivor-centred reporting on gender equality, women’s rights, gender-based violence, SARV, and related issues.
• Administer pre- and post-workshop assessment tools and participant feedback forms to measure knowledge change and collect feedback.
• Document key discussion points, participant feedback, emerging capacity gaps and recommendations from each workshop.

• Develop a comprehensive report on completed interventions, stakeholders consulted, and key findings from the desk review and consultations.
• Document challenges, lessons learned and practical recommendations for future media engagement and capacity building on gender-responsive journalism in Papua New Guinea.

The consultancy will be for 01 August to 30 October (3 months). Payments will be made upon satisfactory completion and approval of each deliverable by UN Women.

The assignment will be a combination of home-based and office-based work in Port Moresby, with expected travel to Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province, subject to UN Women requirements and security clearance.

The consultant may be required to attend meetings with UN Women, programme partners, media stakeholders and other relevant actors. Travel costs related to official travel outside Port Moresby will be covered in accordance with UN Women rules and procedures.

• 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: 

• Strong understanding of gender equality, women’s rights and ending violence against women and girls.
• Strong knowledge of media, journalism, communications or public information in Papua New Guinea.
• Demonstrated ability to design and develop workshop materials for adult learners.
• Strong facilitation, writing, analytical and reporting skills.
• Knowledge of ethical and survivor-centred approaches to reporting on gender-based violence.
• Ability to communicate complex gender equality issues in clear and accessible language.
• Strong coordination and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to work respectfully with diverse stakeholders, including media, civil society, government and community representatives.
• Ability to work within tight deadlines and deliver high-quality written outputs.
• Understanding of the social, cultural and media context of Papua New Guinea, including the National Capital District and Eastern Highlands Province.

• Master’s degree or equivalent in journalism, communications, media studies, gender studies, social sciences, human rights, international development or a related field is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Workshop or certification in journalism, media ethics, gender equality, communications or facilitation is an asset.

• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in journalism, media, communications, advocacy, gender equality or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience in developing workshop materials, facilitation guides, manuals, toolkits or capacity-building resources.
• Experience designing or facilitating workshops for journalists, editors, media practitioners, communication officers or civil society actors.
• Experience working on gender equality, women’s rights, gender-based violence, human rights or social inclusion is required.
• Knowledge of ethical reporting on gender-based violence, survivor-centred communication and do-no-harm approaches is highly desirable.
• Experience working with UN agencies, development partners, civil society organisations or government institutions is an asset.
• Experience working in Papua New Guinea, including with national or provincial media stakeholders, is strongly desirable.
• Familiarity with the media landscape in Port Moresby and Eastern Highlands Province is an asset.

• Excellent written and spoken English is required.
• Fluency in Tok Pisin is required.
• Knowledge of local languages spoken in Eastern Highlands Province 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.

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