Consultancy: Analysis of Evidentiary Issues in Sexual Violence Cases from a Human Rights Perspective

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Equality Now

Remote (global)
  • Career category: Programme/ Project design & management
  • Job type: Consultancy
  • Experience level: Other (specified in job description)
  • Organisation type: Civil Society
  • Remote option: Remote (global)
  • Right to work requirements: Anyone can apply
  • Remuneration: Remuneration not disclosed
  • Deadline: 27/05/2026
  • Location: Remote (global)
GBV / VAWG
 Background
Equality Now is an international human rights organization that works to achieve legal and systemic change to end violence and discrimination against women and girls worldwide. The organization does international and regional advocacy and collaborates with grassroots groups, human rights organizations, and individual activists to promote gender equality through legal and policy reform. Its core areas of work include ending gender-based violence, including sexual exploitation, harmful practice, and discriminatory laws.

B. Objective of the Consultancy
The consultancy aims to generate country- and/or region-specific analysis on the collection, presentation and assessment of evidence in sexual violence cases, including practical approaches and jurisdiction-specific examples, from a human rights perspective. 

This analysis will inform the development of a practical guide for legal practitioners and criminal justice actors, including investigators, prosecutors, judges, legal aid providers, and survivor advocates on how to address cases of sexual violence based on international human rights standards.

In jurisdictions with consent-based definitions of sexual violence, the consultant, among others, will provide progressive examples of how lack of consent can be established beyond evidence of physical force or victim resistance. In jurisdictions where criminal laws have not yet been brought into compliance with consent-based international standards, the consultant will identify practical evidentiary approaches that can help practitioners better argue survivors’ cases within existing legal frameworks, while avoiding reliance on stereotypes, victim-blaming assumptions or unduly narrow force-based interpretations of sexual violence.

C. Scope of Work and Responsibilities
Consultants will respond to the questions developed by Equality Now, which will include the following issues:

  • Analyze specific categories of evidence used in your country or region to substantiate the crime of sexual violence, and describe challenges commonly associated with each. 
  • Examine legal and practical barriers affecting the use and interpretation of evidence.
  • Verify that all research is accurate, current, and reflects the most up-to-date legal frameworks in each country or jurisdiction referenced.
  • Provide credible sources and references, including citations to laws, judicial decisions, case law, articles, and other materials. Include relevant page or paragraph numbers. Where online sources are used, include active hyperlinks.

  • Consultants may be invited to attend a workshop to support the finalization of the guide.  The workshop is tentatively scheduled for September 2026 in Istanbul.

D.  Qualifications and Experience 
  • Law degree.
  • Demonstrable experience as a practitioner or former practitioner, including as an investigator, prosecutor, judge or lawyer, with direct experience working on sexual violence cases, including representing survivors or handling such cases, in one or more of the above-mentioned jurisdictions.
  • Excellent written legal, analytical and critical thinking skills.
  • Exceptional written legal communication skills, including experience producing high-quality research reports for legal advocacy.
  • Proficiency in English.
  • Ability to work independently and remotely.

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