Child Protection Specialist (Gender Based Violence in Emergencies (GBViE)) at UNICEF

The GBViE Specialist (P-4) will be responsible for providing high quality technical guidance and on GBViE prevention, risk mitigation and response for the design, planning and expansion of programming across UNICEF programming in ESAR. Support will also be provided to operatonalise UNICEF ESARO’s work on its Collective Focus Area on violence against girls, boys and women across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. Under the supervision of the ESARO Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) Specialist, the incumbent will provide oversight for quality assurance and coherence with UNICEF’s global level GBViE Operational Guidance and Resource Pack, as well as other global standards and guidelines and the UNICEF Strategic Plan and Gender Action Plan. S/he will ensure that the GBViE programming is aligned with the Core Commitments for Children and  global and regional priorities related to violence against girls, boys and women under UNICEF’s Strategic Plan and the Child Protection Strategy.

The GBViE Specialist will work directly with UNICEF GBViE Specialists, officers and focal points in the Child Protection teams at the country offices and will work collaboratively with UNICEF Child Protection Specialists at the regional office and headquarters (HQ) and across sectors. S/he will coordinate closely with other UN agencies and non-governmental partners (NGO) that specialise in Child Protection and GBViE with a focus on women-led organisations.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Provide strategic and technical support to UNICEF ESARO and COs to scale up efforts to address GBViE 

• Support COs and partners to deliver on organizational commitments in line with UNICEF GBViE programming approaches covering the three pillars approach as per the UNICEF GBViE Operational Guide: response, risk mitigation and prevention adapted to the operating environments in COs.
• Lead and coordinate implementation of the multi-year GBViE funding to scaling-up GBViE programming in Ethiopia and Somalia providing adequate technical support and guidance to achieve objectives.   
• Work with the UNICEF HQ, regional and country offices, Child Protection teams and across other UNICEF sectors to design, plan and coordinate scale-up of GBViE interventions for priority COs.
• Support the planning, design and development of partnerships with women-led organisations to enhance GBV service delivery and their leadership and participation in humanitarian responses in support of UNICEF GBViE expansion in ESAR.
• Work with COs to adapt and roll-out a structured and context appropriate interventions to target adolescent girls in humanitarian settings and respond to their unique needs and building assets, skills and confidence through mentoring and empowerment.
• Provide guidance to support trainings and capacity building initiatives to strengthen GBV case management including caring for child survivors of sexual abuse.

Work with the UNICEF sectors, clusters and inter-agency partners to ensure GBV prevention, risk mitigation and response is adequately integrated across sectors and actions to reduces risks of GBV are implemented.

• At the regional office and across COs, work closely with priority UNICEF sectors and clusters to develop plans to integrate GBV risk mitigation measures across programming in line with the Interagency Minimum Standards and the IASC GBV Guidelines.
• Engage with UNICEF Nutrition to improve GBV risk mitigation measures are in place to improve women and girls’ safer access to nutrition facilities and increase nutrition outcomes for children.
• Work closely with ESARO PSEA Specialist and COs PSEA counterparts to ensure that GBV risk mitigation efforts reduce vulnerability to SEA particularly in humanitarian settings.
• Support UNICEF regional office and COs efforts to promote safer programming and develop plans to integrate GBV/SEA risk mitigation across programming that are aligned to the new Strategic Plan  Change Strategy indicator H5.5. Percentage of country offices that have implemented a minimum set of gender-based violence risk-mitigation actions and create plans to meet requirements including sector specific safety audits, community consultations and risk analysis.

Strengthen knowledge management and policy development on GBViE for ESARO and COs

• Contribute to the development of new global and regional guidance, strategies and resource development on GBViE and work closely with the Child Protection Specialists to address violence against girls, boys and women
• Document lessons learned and good practices from UNICEF’s partnerships with new and existing women’s organisations and GBV risk mitigation efforts for onwards dissemination across ESAR.
• Keep abreast of developments with GBViE and make appropriate recommendations for UNICEF ESARO on enhancing prevention and response strategies.
• Support documentation of good practices, learning exchanges and forums on GBViE interventions and regularly update the SharePoint sites for ESAR staff to access policy and guidance materials studies on GBViE.
• Actively monitor financial and human resource capacity to ensure sufficient resources are in place to effectively achieve UNICEF GBViE commitments particularly in emergency settings.
• Promote the inclusion of GBViE into resource mobilization efforts, reports, proposals, ToRs, humanitarian appeal processes, advocacy materials and other relevant documents, as required.
• Provide updates and briefings on GBViE for senior management at the CO, RO and/or HQ levels to ensure understanding and prioritization of programming to address GBVIE.

  Improve coordination of UNICEF GBViE interventions internally and at the inter-agency level.

• Represent UNICEF on the inter-agency Regional GBV Working Group to ensure there is a comprehensive plan of action to better address GBV across all humanitarian interventions.
• Actively engage in and provide technical support on UNICEF HQ coordination groups and maintain close relationship with GBViE and PSEA Specialists at HQ and in other regions.
• Support UNICEF GBViE Specialists and focal points at COs by organizing regular meetings, providing trainings, enhancing communication and information sharing among COs on GBViE.
• Participate in the Regional Child Protection Network to ensure there is a comprehensive plan of action to better address GBV across all humanitarian interventions.
• Engage closely with UNICEF ESARO Child Protection Specialists on key intersecting issues including efforts to address social norms and harmful practices in humanitarian and protected crises, sexual violence in conflict, children on the move and improving social service workforce strengthening.
• Liaise with UNICEF  UNICEF sections  including WASH, Health, Education, Nutrition, to ensure GBV prevention, risk mitigation and response is increasingly addressed as a cross-cutting issue, in line with the IASC GBV Guidelines, and is monitored accordingly.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in  psychology, social work, human rights and public health or other related degree, or equivalent programming experience
• A minimum of eight of relevant professional experience in  GBViE prevention and response in humanitarian settings (with UN agencies and/or NGOs).
• Strong understanding of GBV case management system, GBV programming approaches, practices and applications i.e. on Adolescent Girl Programming, GBViE Minimum Standards, GBVIMS, IASC GBV guidelines.
• Demonstrated skills in planning and facilitating workshops and other capacity-building modalities.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills: the ability to liaise with people successfully and effectively in a wide range of functions in a multi-cultural environment.
• Experience of coordinating regional multi-year donor projects across countries.
• Strong planning, project management and budget skills required.
• Ability to work independently and productively, with multiple stakeholders in a fast-paced environment.
• Flexible work attitude: the ability to work productively in a team environment and independently, and to handle requests or issues as they arise.
• Ability to collect, collate and analyse data in a scientific and effective manner and strong writing skills.
• Availability to travel frequently in the region.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Deadline: 04 Jan 2023