Specialist adviser role with the Women and Equalities Committee

22 January 2018

The House of Commons Women and Equalities Select Committee (WEC) is inviting expressions of interest from individuals for the role of specialist adviser to its inquiry into the Sexual harassment of women and girls in public places.

The Committee

The Women and Equalities Committee is a cross-party select committee of MPs, chaired by Maria Miller MP.

It scrutinises the performance of the Government Equalities Office and the implementation of equalities policy across Government.

The Committee looks at policy across all the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010 (sex, age, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, marriage or civil partnership status).

The Role

The specialist adviser will work with the Committee secretariat on an ad hoc basis to analyse the issues raised in the inquiry on sexual harassment of women and girls in public places and provide authoritative advice to the Committee.

Applicants will need to have expert knowledge of the subject matter and be able to provide clear, concise and impartial advice orally and in writing to politicians.

The successful applicant may be asked to:

comment on drafts of written material produced by the Committee secretariat
advise on sources of information and evidence
contribute to briefing notes for the Committee
provide advice on commissioning research
attend Committee meetings and provide oral briefings.

Knowledge and skills

The Committee would like to hear from people who have expert knowledge on the sexual harassment of women and girls.

Applicants should be well placed to advise the Committee on how to get the best range of evidence on the policy issues raised by the inquiry.

We are looking for an individual who:

can advise on individuals, organisations and experts to consult on this subject
is familiar with research, policy and current debates about the issue of sexual harassment
has up-to-date knowledge of the legal and policy framework in this area
ideally has research experience

Further information about the inquiry is available on the inquiry page.

Time commitment and honorarium

The role is likely to run from March 2018 for around six months.

The overall commitment is unlikely to be more than around 10 days, and only in exceptional circumstances would you be asked to do more than two days' work in a particular week.

You would be paid a daily honorarium on the basis of work done.

Application Process

To express an interest in this role please send a CV, covering letter and a declaration of relevant interests to womeqcom@parliament.uk.

The covering letter should:

set out how your expertise is relevant to this inquiry
give an indication of the amount of time you could realistically devote to Committee work
outline your ability to take on work at short notice if required.

The declaration of interests should include anything that a reasonable person might consider could influence the advice you give to the Committee.

Examples include a relevant financial interest, active membership of a relevant campaign group or political party or the involvement of a close family member in the area of specialism.

If your application is successful, your declared interests will be published.

Deadline for applications

Expressions of interest should be sent to womeqcom@parliament.uk no later than 10am on Monday 19 February 2018.

If you have any questions about the role please contact Holly Dustin on 020 7219 3262 or at dustinh@parliament.uk