Programme Officer, Adolescent Girls and Gender Equality

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children's rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society's most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries.

The Gender Policy 2021-2030 and Gender Action Plan 2022-2025 (GAP) define how UNICEF will contribute to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in delivering its mandate on children. The GAP incorporates both programmatic and institutional priorities, integrating a change strategy for gender equality across internal policies, practices and accountability mechanisms. Building on past successes and lessons learned, the plan specifies three areas of commitment: 1) Integrating gender equality results across the life course of our programmes and Strategic Plan goal areas, including health and nutrition; education; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); child protection; and social policy; 2) Prioritizing the leadership and well-being of adolescent girls; and 3) Strengthening our policies and systems for more gender-transformative workplaces and practices

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Gender Programme Specialist/AGY Team Lead or designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer Programme Officer, Adolescent Girls and Gender Equality will be in charge of:

Program/project development, planning and reporting •Provide technical support in evidence-based programme/project planning on gender, incorporating robust measurement and evaluation of results. •Support the integration of gender and adolescent girls’ considerations into country programming phases, including strategic planning, mid-term reviews, annual reviews, and programme component strategy notes. •Support the incorporating of adolescent girls and gender indicators and measures in programme/project and policy initiatives, funding proposals, and advocacy efforts. •Support the Country Office in reporting results on gender and adolescent girls, through donor reports and routine annual reporting. •Provide technical and advisory support to the cross-sectoral cluster of Adolescent, Gender, and Youth within the UNICEF Ghana Country Office to design gender-responsive and targeted office-wide initiatives and interventions.

Program coordination, monitoring and evaluation •Participate in cross-sectoral collaboration and coordination on programmatic results on adolescent girls and gender, ensuring coherence and synergies •Provide coordination and documentation support in the implementation of cross-sectoral programmes on adolescent girls and gender equality. •Support the data collection to monitor and evaluate progress on adolescent girls and gender results, including the implementation of the country office gender strategy. •Support gender analysis, reviews and evaluations and ensuring that recommendations are integrated into appropriate processes. •Participate in relevant inter-agency and partner coordination bodies on gender as required.

Advocacy, networking and partnership building •Support programme convergence, and partnerships in gender programming in liason with sections and external partners (civil society, NGOs, private sector, development partners) •Support the mapping of potential partnerships to accelerate GAP implementation at the country level and resource mobilization •Promote adolescent girls’ leadership through UNICEF partnerships and advocacy engagements •Support donor engagement activities (e.g. Project Steering Committees, field monitoring visits, coordination meetings etc.) and ensuring wide internal and external visibility of UNICEF’s gender and adolescent girls results. •Support the design of gender-responsive policy and public advocacy initiatives.
Knowledge management and capacity building •Support documentation and dissemination of knowledge and experience in gender programming internally and externally. •Support the planning and implementation of research, evaluations and KAP surveys related to adolescent girls and gender and tracking of the follow up recommendations. •Support the capacity strengthening of staff and implementing partners on gender and meaningful engagement of adolescent girls. •Disseminate best practices in gender programming and measurement internally and gather information on capacity building opportunities on gender and adolescents for staff.

•Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNICEF; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNICEF procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented; •Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNICEF in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority; •Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues; •Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment. •Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities; •Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; •Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary; •Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNICEF’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

in gender mainstreaming, gender and adolescent girls programming, gender research or other relevant areas at national and/or international level . Experience in Sub-Saharan Africa is an asset, as is experience working in the UN or other international development organization; •Experience in designing, implementing, managing, and delivering results-based programmes/projects on gender and development. Experience in adolescent girls’ programmes is an asset. •Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills; •Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing; •Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development; •Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel; •Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment; •Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines; •Sound security awareness; •Have affinity with or interest in children’s rights and gender equality, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN System.

The incumbent will be based in Accra, Ghana which is relatively safe location and currently classified as hardship category B. Transport, medical, education and other services are at a higher level compared to other countries in the region. At the sea level, the climate of the country is tropical hot and humid with average yearly temperatures of about 27°C (80°F) and little daily variation. At the interior’s higher attitudes, the average yearly temperature is 20°C (68°F), and nights are generally cool. Annual rainfall varies from 500 centimeters (200 in.) on the southwestern slopes to 100 centimeters (40 in.) in the northern lowlands. The rainy season runs from October to May. The total population of Ghana is currently estimated at 31,000,000. Ghana is a Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) country.

Accommodation can be rented from 800$ to 1000$ per month and meals at restaurants cost between 10$ and 60$. Food, household commodities and clothing can be found in shops and markets at reasonable prices. An entry visa is required for majority of travelers and must be obtained prior to arrival from an Embassy. The Cedi is the local currency and according to the UN exchange rate system; 1 USD is equivalent to 7.621 GHS (June 20222). Commercial banks are operating in the country and credit cards are accepted in hotels, restaurants and supermarkets.
English is the official language in Ghana, however, several local languages are spoken and for many people, their local language is their first language.