National Consultant – Developing and supporting the development of media courses and related activities for the CA Alliance EGBV in 2026, home-based

Background:

The Central Asian Alliance to End Gender-Based Violence (GBV) (hereafter – Alliance) was established in June 2023 under the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative as a regional platform uniting state and non-state actors from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The Alliance brings together government institutions, civil society organizations, including youth, gender-based violence (GBV) experts, and media to advance coordinated, gender-transformative action to prevent and respond to GBV. It supports the implementation of national and international commitments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and global commitments emerging from the Generation Equality Forum, and the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 while addressing persistent gaps in GBV prevention and response across the region.

Building on the achievements of the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative Regional Programme for Central Asia and Afghanistan, which concluded in December 2023, the Alliance consolidates progress made in legal reform, institutional capacity-building, data collection, addressing social norms, and the strengthening of women’s movements. The Alliance serves as an inclusive space for dialogue, shared learning, and accountability, ensuring that the voices of civil society and survivors inform policy and practice. Its participatory model reflects a commitment to addressing intersecting forms of discrimination and ensuring that regional cooperation translates into tangible improvements and life free from violence for women and girls in Central Asia.

At the Alliance’s Annual Forum in December 2025, discussions highlighted a continued need for responsible and ethical GBV communication in the region. While initiatives like UNESCO and UN Women’s 2019 Handbook on Gender-Sensitive Journalism: Covering Violence in Media and IWPR’s Gender-Sensitive Journalism project have made strides, gaps remain in region-specific, comprehensive training. These courses, though valuable, are often limited in reach and do not fully address the evolving challenges of digital and social media in GBV reporting. There is a pressing need to refresh and expand gender-sensitive journalism education, particularly to address the rise of online harassment, the role of social media in perpetuating GBV, and emerging forms of technology-facilitated violence.

GBV remains a critical issue in Central Asia, approximately one in five women aged 15-49 has experienced physical and/or sexual violence by a current or former intimate partner over her lifetime (19.5%) (According to UN Women calculations using WHO. 2025. The Global Health Observatory). Deep-rooted patriarchal norms, gender inequality, and insufficient legal frameworks contribute to this high GBV prevalence. Despite the widespread impact of GBV, it is often seen as an individual problem, rather than a societal issue, hindering broad social change.

In this context, strengthening media capacity has been identified as a key priority for shaping public attitudes toward GBV. However, many journalists in the region still struggle to report on GBV ethically and sensitively, often relying on sensationalism, victim-blaming, and stigmatizing language. Such practices not only exacerbate trauma for survivors but also normalize violence in society. Therefore, it is crucial to raise awareness and build the capacity of journalists across Central Asia to report on GBV in a responsible and professional manner.

The goal of the media project is not to simply add another module on gender-sensitive journalism, but to develop sustainable, region-specific resources that will be integrated into the daily practices of journalists, editors, media outlets, and content creators. These resources will ensure that responsible GBV reporting becomes an entrenched editorial standard in Central Asia, contributing to lasting change in how GBV is portrayed in the media and fostering broader societal shifts toward gender equality and the eradication of violence against women.

Goal: Under the overall guidance of the Central Asian Alliance EGBV Coordinator and UN Women Kazakhstan, the National Consultant will provide expertise in media, gender equality, and GBV reporting to ensure the development of effective, region-specific resources and implement specific GBV related media initiatives in Central Asian countries. The consultant will play a key role in developing the Terms of Reference (TORs) for media training (TOT) and video course for journalists and media creators, analyzing vendors shortlisted through the RFP process and recommending potential vendors, monitoring implementation of the media training programmes for journalists and influencers, knowledge products development (video course for content creators in media),