Programme Consultant - Women’s Empowerment in Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (SRMNCAH) rights in humanitarian settings in the Horn of Africa (POWER)

Consultant

Overview

Coordinate Women’s Empowerment programme on SRMNCAH in humanitarian settings in the Horn of Africa.

You have:

• A Master's Degree in Public Health, Health, Sociology, Community Development, Human Rights, Gender and Development, Law, or similar field.
• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience at the national or international level in design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects.
• Technical experience coordinating and managing women's and girls' empowerment, gender and SRMNCAH programs.
• Knowledge and practical experience on SRMNCAH Health and HIV programming.
• Fluency in spoken and written English is required; knowledge of any other UN official working language is an asset.
• Proven experience working with, coordinating, and liaising with humanitarian actors in government agencies, UN Agencies, or CSOs.
• Working experience within the East and Southern Africa region is an asset.

Contract

This is a National Consultant contract. More about National Consultant contracts.

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.

UN Women East & Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) maintains a large presence in the Eastern and Southern Africa region, covering 13 countries with a Programme Presence in Somalia. In accordance with the UN Women Strategic Note, which is in line with the Africa Strategy, UN Women works to advance social, economic, and political rights and protection of women and girls from violence including harmful practices. The ESARO also focuses on those from marginalized, excluded, and under-represented groups, including rural women, women with disabilities, women living with or affected by HIV, women survivors of violence, women migrants, elderly women among others. Additionally, women and girls are often greatly affected in both sudden and slow-onset emergencies and are at increased risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV, unplanned pregnancies, maternal deaths, and illnesses, and sexual and gender-based violence. UN Women’s Programme on Women’s Empowerment in Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child, and Adolescent Health (SRMNCAH) rights in humanitarian settings in the Horn of Africa Region (POWER) seeks to address some of these challenges.

The Horn of Africa (HoA), which consists of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Uganda, currently has 20 million people affected by crises which has a negative impact on the most vulnerable population’s ability to access sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. The context leaves women and girls particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse, including defilement and rape. This is further compounded by the social distancing and restrictions imposed during COVID-19, making it difficult to make available and access the services in many countries specifically in humanitarian settings.

Several on-going crises in HoA have led to large movements of people within and between countries and significant local, national, and regional impacts. Wide geographical and socio-economic disparities impact access to health services, and coverage of priority SRMNCAH interventions is sub-optimal both in the development and humanitarian settings throughout. Discrimination against women and girls including gender-based violence, economic exclusion, and the disparity in access to quality and affordable SRMNCAH services is common across the region. In humanitarian settings, many women and girls are vulnerable due to the limited healthcare facilities, lack of information and some-times difficulties accessing or inability to access services due to their vulnerability. Their situation has become worse with COVID 19.

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 and the subsequent closure of schools, the number of unplanned pregnancies especially among adolescent girls has escalated. The pandemic risks the reversal of gains made in the access SRMNCAH services and protection of women and girls. Limited access to SRMNCAH services especially, menstrual hygiene products and sexual and reproductive health services including post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) kits will exacerbate risks to girl’s reproductive health. There are instances where fear of infection, family and caregivers are reluctant to permit adolescent girls to access such services.

The importance of reproductive rights and access to quality health services for women and girls are enshrined in a wide range of normative frameworks, including the Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action, the Programme of Action of International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially target 5.6 on sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights and related targets across Goal 3. Most recently, the Generation Equality Forum Blueprints for Action Coalitions on Gender-Based Violence and Bodily Autonomy and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights add new momentum to these commitments. POWER analysis of legal and policy frameworks has shown that these international frameworks are reinforced by various instruments and policies at the regional and national levels to promote SRMNCAH, such as the African Union Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Continental Policy Framework (2005) which is operationalized through the Maputo Plan of Action. However, efforts to address discriminatory practices and the diverse barriers to women and girl’s demanding their rights remain a priority and are a focus for POWER.

Objective of the POWER Programme:

The programme aims to address the barriers that prevent women, children, and adolescents from demanding and realizing their rights to SRMNCAH services. It seeks to achieve the following outcomes (results) in humanitarian settings:

• Established rights-based national and local SRMNCAH frameworks;
• Improved promotion of equal gender norms, attitudes and practices on women’s and girls’ rights to SRMNCAH;
• Empowered women and girls exercise their SRMNCAH rights and seek services.

The POWER programme is implemented in select humanitarian settings in Ethiopia and Uganda and complemented by key activities at the regional level for the Horn of Africa (HoA).

Duties and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Regional Policy Specialist for EVAW, the consultant will coordinate the Women’s Empowerment programme on Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child, and Adolescent Health (SRMNCAH) rights in humanitarian settings in the Horn of Africa Region (POWER) and support partnerships with UN sister agencies specifically, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNHCR, Regional bodies, Governments bodies and CSOs within the HoA region. The consultant will be responsible for providing regular updates to Regional Policy Specialist, EVAW and coordinate POWER Focal Points in the region and collaboration with the HQ HIV Policy unit on the progress and submission of the deliverables in a timely manner.

The specific roles will include:

• Coordinate finalization of country documents, briefs, and other knowledge products related to POWER. Specifically, these include:
  • Final editing and proofreading and coordinate the dissemination of the Regional Reference Document on SRMNCAH strategies in humanitarian settings;
  • Coordinate the dissemination of promising practices and strategies on Community Solutions to promote SRMNCAH rights in humanitarian settings;
  • Conceptualize and coordinate with POWER Country Focal Points to develop an interactive knowledge product that consolidates learning from the Programme for an external audience.
• Coordinate regional training activities for POWER. Specifically:
  • Lead preparations in coordination with ESARO and country office focal points and partners, facilitate the training and manage post-training documentation and follow-up for the training on budgeting for developing gender-responsive humanitarian response plans;
  • Lead preparations in coordination with ESARO and country office focal points and partners, facilitate the training and manage post-training documentation and follow-up for the training for women leaders on advocacy for SRMNCAH.
• Monitor programme implementation using results-based management tools and provide suggestions for intervention as needed;
• Organize bi-weekly meetings with regional and country programme focal points for information sharing on current progress of implementation and areas of technical support by Regional Office;
• Build and manage relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of the POWER programme, ensuring consolidated stakeholder lists are available;
• Coordinate the development, consolidation, review, and submission of quarterly updates and the annual narrative report on POWER focusing on results, outputs, and outcomes;
• Draft the end of project report for approval by Policy Specialist – EVAW to submit to HQ;
• Provide technical support on inter-agency coordination related activities i.e., provide technical inputs for meetings and regional platforms as needed;
• Contribute to analysis and research to support UN Women’s future programming on Sexual, Reproductive Health and Rights and Maternal and Adolescent Health.

Deliverables:

• Summary documentation of monthly/bi-weekly meetings with POWER focal points;
• Project narrative report (annual) as well as the end of project report drafted and cleared by EVAW Policy Specialist with the HQ;
• A narrative report submitted on training of regional stakeholders for budgeting for developing gender-responsive humanitarian response plans and advocacy for budgetary allocations for SRMNCAH;
• A narrative report on training for women leaders on advocacy for SRMNCAH;
• Dissemination report for the regional reference document highlighting SRMNCAH strategies in humanitarian settings;
• Dissemination of the report on promising practices and strategies on Community Solutions to promote SRMNCAH rights in humanitarian settings;
• An interactive knowledge product on the programme (series of videos or micro-website featuring programme policy briefs, factsheets, and presentations on Sexual, Reproductive, and Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health in Humanitarian Settings).

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Functional Competencies:

• Strong programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills;
• Ability to synthesize programme performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making;
• Strong analytical and facilitation skills;
• Demonstrates excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Ability to review a variety of data, identify and adjust discrepancies, identify and resolve operational problems;
• Proven networking skills and ability to generate interest in UN Women’s mandate;
• Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside UN Women.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

• A Master’s Degree in Public Health, Health, Sociology, Community Development, Human Rights, Gender and Development, Law, or similar field;
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree;
• Additional training/certification in project/programme management, women leadership and SRMNCAH related issues would be an added advantage.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience at the national or international level in design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects;
• Technical experience coordinating and managing women and girl’s empowerment, gender and SRMNCAH programs;
• Knowledge and practical experience on SRMNCAH Health and HIV programming;
• Proven experience working with, coordinating, and liaising with humanitarian actors in government agencies, UN Agencies, or CSOs;
• Proven experience in coordinating and facilitating trainings and workshops for government and regional counterparts;
• Proven expertise in knowledge management;
• Working experience within the East and Southern Africa region is an asset;
• Good Knowledge of AU and RECs in East and Southern Africa.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in spoken and written English is required;
• Knowledge of any other UN official working language is an asset.

UNWOMEN is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

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Potential interview questions

Added 4 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: jobs.undp.org