Action Learning and Acceleration of Gender in Humanitarian Response (Contractor) - UNICEF South Asia

Contract

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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a future

How can you make a difference?

Rationale:

Humanitarian crises have differential impacts on women, men, boys, and girls. These differences are shaped by preexisting gender norms that comparatively disadvantage certain groups before an emergency, and as a result, humanitarian action must account for these gender-specific vulnerabilities, risks, and capacities. When humanitarian actors do not assess how gender dynamics influence the effectiveness of emergency response, then humanitarian sectors can inadvertently overlook key populations or restrict some groups from safely accessing life-saving information, services and resources. Proactive action is not solely about reducing vulnerabilities and mitigating risks, but also about ensuring that relief operations link the most isolated and vulnerable to resources; engage them in decision-making; and build their capacity to support recovery efforts, such that an emergency becomes an opportunity to establish a sturdier foundation for gender equality.

UNICEF recognises that women and girls bear the brunt of impact in emergency and humanitarian contexts in very specific and particular ways. This is not only about the increases in exposure to numerous forms of violence as their community protection mechanisms collapse, but also about the ways in which they are responsible for the care of others in professional and personal roles, including meeting the needs of children, the elderly, those with disabilities, and those who are sick. The labour and responsibility for care are not evenly distributed between men and women, and it is well-documented that these inequalities of responsibility contribute to the material impoverishment and need for resources that underpins the vulnerability of women and girls to violence, including sexual exploitation.

It is also well-documented that adolescent girls may be married early in crises as an attempt to provide protection for them, or as a way of increasing the family access to resources. Adolescent girls are more likely to be involved in transactional relationships than their brothers, and their education is more likely to be sacrificed .

Broader sectoral responses – e.g., WASH, Education, and Nutrition - can exacerbate or mitigate against exposure to violence and exploitation, depending on how and with whom they are designed and implemented; including women and girls, and the organisations with deep knowledge of their needs. Humanitarian standards outlined in the Sphere Standards and the IASC Guidelines on GBV In Emergencies consistently highlight the meaningful engagement of women and girls as vital to humanitarian response impact.

UNICEF is guided by an understanding that humanitarian contexts very often exacerbate pre-existing gender inequalities, and that, at the same time, there may be an opportunity for transformational change through thoughtful and considered interventions. Aligned to this recognition, the Core Commitments to Children in Humanitarian Action (CCCs) includes the following gender equality commitments. This project will focus on two of the Gender CCCs, recognizing the link to GBV risk mitigation across both:

1. Engagement With and For Women and Girls 2. Gender-responsive Programming, including with sound gender analysis and a lens on adolescent girls

In order to sustain the value of feminist organisations - including those specifically led by women and adolescent girls -and their unique value in pursuit of the gender equality commitments, it is essential to find ways to partner with them that both nurture and sustain their evolution, and that at the same time do not require them to become ‘standardised’ CSOs or NGOs. While it is essential that there is accountability for resource management, it is also essential that the sustaining qualities of these organisations are fully valued in the consideration of partnerships. Additionally, UNICEF humanitarian action must be informed by rapid gender analysis that are inclusive of participatory approaches to engage children and adolescents; the new CCC note that it’s a mandatory step of emergency response. The collection and use of data disaggregated by sex, age, disability, and other dimensions (e.g., migration status) that shape vulnerabilities, risks and capacities is also a key pillar of gender-responsive programming, including the lens on adolescent girls.

Purpose:

Recognition of the value of the skills, capacities, perspectives and insights of feminist organizations and associations across all sectors, including and beyond GBV programming, has the potential to establish a foundation for stronger results across emergency preparedness and humanitarian response.

The aim is to invest in Action Learning to strengthen work with organizations focused on gender equality—particularly those led by women and girls—to be a standard part of preparedness and humanitarian response. This includes a sustained commitment to support them towards readiness for standby partnership agreements. This could strengthen not only the localization agenda, but also build a gender focus into emergency response from the beginning, properly supported and resourced. To do this effectively, relationships need to be built ahead of emergencies or crises, from the beginning of a preparedness strategy.

Under the guidance of the Regional Gender Adviser (ROSA), and Gender Unit HQ, the contractor is accountable for the development, design, planning, and implementation and management of a UNICEF-wide Action Learning Agenda to support and accelerate gender equality in humanitarian responses across 16 CO and respective regional offices (see summary matrix). They/he/she provide technical support for strategic programme innovation, support for CO responses and supports organizational reflection and knowledge management.

This entails supporting a learning agenda and monitoring progress, documenting challenges and proposing ways forward. Lessons learned documents should be developed for sharing between regions and country offices as well as humanitarian partners including IASC including examples and case studies of best practice.

Key Assignments/Tasks

Strategic support to an Action Learning agenda to accelerate gender in humanitarian response:

1. Serving as a Help-Desk to country office staff that delivers timely technical support and mentorship on (a) engaging local civil society organizations advancing the rights of women and girls, and (b) advancing participatory assessments and (rapid) gender analysis to inform gender-responsive humanitarian action. Help-Desk support includes:

• Sharing tools, resources, and best practices with country office staff • Adapting and field-testing new or well-established tools that support (a) meaningful engagement of local civil society organizations advancing the rights of women and girls, and (b) participatory assessment and rapid gender analysis. These tools may include but are not limited to resources in UNICEF new Gender Equality CCC Implementation Kit and new tools/checklists on engaging local women’s organizations in humanitarian action.

2. Documenting the lessons learned (e.g., key challenges, key enablers, adaptions of existing tools, and changes in operational approach or programme design as a result of Help-Desk support) in the work with women’s organizations and the use of gender analysis in emergencies. The expected outputs (see deliverables) are case studies that document the value and impact of (a) engaging local women’s and girls’ organizations through a feminist, trust-building partnership model; and (b) conducting participatory assessments and advancing gender analysis in humanitarian action.

3. Producing a summary report on that covers the key aspects of the technical support provided to country offices, the key lessons learned, the key operational- and programme-level changes, and the key considerations for UNICEF to continue advancing the Gender Equality CCCCs. Case studies will be annexes in the summary report.

Key function/day-to-day activities (for contractor only):

• Identify key training needs across participating CO/ROs, and develop a mechanism to provide mentoring of UNICEF key staff in identified countries, including through a Help-Desk Facility • Produce outline and begin documentation of work with women’s organizations for case studies and learning on partnerships within context of localization framework. • Produce a summary of planned Participatory Rapid Assessment tools across programme Cos • Respond to at least five COs and respective ROs with mentoring of UNICEF key staff and Help-Desk Facility • Produce one draft case study on engagement between women’s organizations and UNICEF within a localization framework. • Produce one draft case study on UNICEF coordination/involvement in rapid gender analysis/participatory assessments and how it informed more gender-responsive humanitarian programming. • Provide technical support to at least two COs for development of a Participatory Rapid Assessment tool • and/or support the collection of disaggregated data and gender analysis, including liaising with local women organizations to understand all needs. • Support organization and participate in a webinar with all COs to report progress and chart next step

Duration: 115 days from the start of the contract. Contractor will work remotely and be expected to work from Monday through Friday, and regardless of location, overlap for at least five “core hours” from 12 PM to 5 PM (Kathmandu time) per day with the team in Kathmandu, with time-off 1 ½ days per month on pro-rata basis. In case of an urgent action, contractor may be required to take calls in the evening (within a reasonable hour) and over the weekend.

Note: Please submit your applications with financial proposal. Applications without the financial proposal will not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advanced to the next stage of the selection process.

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

A) Education: • Advanced university degree in the social sciences, gender, women’s studies, international development, or in an area relevant to UNICEF’s sectoral work (e.g. Health, Nutrition, WASH, Education, Child Protection, Social Inclusion, HIV/AIDs, etc.). A higher qualification will be and added advantage • Academic credentials in gender are a strong asset.

B) Work Experience: • At least 6 years of experience and demonstrated track record of having undertaken strategic programme communication and demonstrated skills in writing and research • Good knowledge of the gender and social context of the South Asia Region is required • Experience of working with UNICEF, sister UN agencies and other partners is an asset

C) Language Proficiency: • Proficiency in English language is required

For every Child, you demonstrate

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

C) Competencies: • Excellent verbal and written communication abilities, presentation and editorial skills in English Ability in working independently and to a clear work plan being directly accountable

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.