Moderator for High Level Annual Conference on Gender and Elections in Africa COGE

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. Placing women's rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. UN Women’s Leadership and Decision-Making (LDM) portfolio is a central area of work under the UN Women Strategic Plan 2026–2029 and the ESARO Strategic Note 2026–2029. In the East and Southern Africa region, it focuses on strengthening accountability for gender equality commitments by working with civil society, regional and national institutions, UN entities, Member States, electoral bodies, political parties, parliaments, and women’s movements. The LDM portfolio seeks to advance gender parity, inclusive electoral and political reforms, shared accountability benchmarks, peer learning, and regional problem-solving to advance women’s leadership and decision-making. In this context, UN Women ESAR together with its partners WALPE Africa and FEMNET will be convening the inaugural High Level Annual Conference on Gender and Elections in Africa (COGE) will be held from 28 to 29 October 2026 in Johannesburg, South Africa. COGE is envisioned as Africa’s premier annual convening to interrogate, document and advance women’s political leadership within electoral processes across the continent. At a time when women remain significantly underrepresented in executive and legislative office, and when electoral cycles continue to present unique threats and opportunities for women candidates, COGE provides a structured, pan-African platform to turn commitments into concrete action. The inaugural edition, under the theme #TryWomen! Amplifying Women’s Leadership in African Elections , is deliberately bold and action oriented. It calls on political parties, election management bodies, regional bodies, civil society and the electorate to intentionally invest in, nominate, support and vote for women. The conference will centre lived experiences, evidence and solutions from across North, West, Central, East, and Southern Africa. As a high-level gathering, COGE will feature a Guest of Honor who is a Current or Former Female President in Africa, alongside ministers, parliamentarians, party leaders, Election Management Bodies (EMB) commissioners, observers, gender experts and aspiring women leaders. Working under the overall supervision of the Regional Policy Specialist, Leadership and Decision-Making, the Moderator/Facilitator will professionally host and guide all proceedings of COGE 2026, ensuring smooth flow of the programme, upholding protocol and creating an engaging atmosphere that amplifies women’s leadership and keeps participants focused on the conference objectives. The quality of facilitation will therefore be critical in setting the tone: dignified, inclusive, solutions-focused and unapologetically pro-women’s leadership. The Facilitator must reflect the gravitas of a high-level continental convening while keeping the tone inclusive, energizing and aligned to the #TryWomen campaign. Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work: The moderator will be expected to carry out the following tasks: Pre Conference: Programme Familiarization: Review full agenda, speaker bios, session objectives and protocol list. Attend at least two preparatory meetings with WALPE Africa and FEMNET Secretariat; Content Preparation: Develop session transitions and contingency announcements in consultation with Secretariat; Speaker Liaison: Coordinate with moderators and speakers to confirm pronunciation of names, titles and time allocations; Protocol Briefing: Understand VIP handling, order of precedence and cultural sensitivities across African regions. During Conference - 28 to 29 October 2026: Protocol & Ceremonial Duties: Welcome delegates, announce dignitaries, invite speakers, manage guest of honor segments and ensure correct protocol is observed at all times; Session Facilitation : Open and close each plenary and high-level panel punctually; Thematic Anchoring: Consistently tie discussions back to the theme #TryWomen and the 3 pillars: representation, electoral integrity and support systems for women candidates; Energy and Engagement: Maintain a professional yet warm tone. Encourage participation, manage transitions between heavy and technical sessions and keep momentum across the two days; Crisis and change management : Communicate programme changes, acknowledge delays diplomatically and liaise with Secretariat on the spot; Representation: Serve as the public face of the conference. Uphold the organizers values of dignity, inclusivity and excellence. Post-Conference: Debrief: Participate in a post-event debrief with the Secretariat; Handover: Submit final script with notes on what worked/what did not for future COGE editions. Deliverables: Deliverables Timelines/Duration Pre Conference: Conference methodology and approach 1 day Facilitation and moderation: Execution of conference days tasks 2 days Post Conference: Debrief and conference summary report. 1 day Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel: The assignment will be based in Johannesburg, South Africa. 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: Strong familiarity with gender equality and women’s empowerment issues in Africa, and UN Women’s mandate and efforts in these regards; Excellent command of English, strong stage presence, voice projection and time management. Diplomacy, discretion and ability to handle VIPs and sensitive moments; Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions in line with the UN Code of Conduct; Ability to work in a team and develop synergies; Good communication and interpersonal skills, ability to foster networks and partnerships; Demonstrate respect for culture, gender, religion, and nationality; Demonstrated pedagogical experience, subject knowledge, sound judgment, and advanced skills in transformational leadership skills training and staff development; Excellent reporting and analytical skills. Required Qualifications Education and Certification: Master’s degree or equivalent in International Development, Human Rights, Law, Gender and Governance or related 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; A project/programme management certification would be an added advantage. Experience: At least 2 years progressively responsible work experience facilitating and/or moderating high-level multi-stakeholder conferences engaging culturally diverse groups is required; Experience facilitating Member States workshops, policy dialogues and conferences; AU, SADC or UN is an asset; Experience working on gender, elections, governance and African political context is an asset; Proven experience of using participatory methods for data collection and analysis; Field experience working in Africa is an asset. Languages: Fluency in English is required; Knowledge of any other UN official language is an asset. 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