Scoping study on Child Marriage in Syria - International Consultant, Damascus-Syria, 84 working days within 6 months
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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, protection.
BACKGROUND (RATIONALE AND CONTEXT):
Child Marriage in and outside Syria
The rise in child marriage in humanitarian settings is generally attributable to increased levels of insecurity and violence (including gender-based violence), weakening of the formal school system and lack of alternative learning opportunities, breakdowns in social and health services, increased poverty and a decline in livelihood opportunities, and disruptions of social support networks. Families may force especially their daughters into child marriage as a negative coping strategy, to reduce the economic burden on the household and/or to gain bride wealth, to avoid the stigma of pregnancy outside marriage, and to protect girls because of concerns about their safety and about family honour.
As per studies conducted in the MENA/ Arab States region, we know that crises impact the mobility of girls, who are the first to be pulled out of school for security reasons. The physical threat of crisis limits girls’ access to education. Limited education and increased confinement lead to increasing the sense that the girls in the family will become a financial burden. This in turn limits access to medical care, sexual and reproductive healthcare, psychosocial support and other protection mechanisms. All these factors increase the vulnerabilities associated with early or forced marriage which may often become a negative coping mechanism for families.
Prior to the war, child marriage stood at 13% in Syria according to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey in 2006. The prevalence among Syrian adolescent girls registered as refugees is almost three times as high. The prevalence of child marriage is high among Syrian adolescent refugees as shown by the most recent Demographic Health Surveys in Jordan (38% married by age 19, 2017-2018) and Turkey (49% married by age 19, 2018). Similar trends have been observed in Lebanon where at least 29 per cent of girls/women age 15-19 are reportedly married. Seventy-two percent of communities surveyed reported early marriage (often affecting girls) as compared to 47% in 2020.
How can you make a difference?
OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
Child marriage in Syria is reportedly on the increase, but evidence is seriously lacking to substantiate this and make informed programming decisions. Data and research on countries hosting Syrian refugees (Jordan, Lebanon have demonstrated a sharp increase in child marriage. There are reasons to believe a similar trend may be unfolding in Syria. In order to have programmes at scale to address child marriage and reach vulnerable and at-risk girls and boys, UNICEF Syria would like to adopt an incremental evidence-based approach through a review of existing literature on prevalence and drivers of marriage within the country. This study will be used to understand the extent of the issue within Syria, platforms for engagement for prevention and response to child marriage and related vulnerabilities. Additionally, the scoping study will support the Country Office to design an actionable multi-sectoral plan for prevention of child marriage, tailored to the specific needs of girls and boys in Syria who are at risk of early and forced marriage.
The study will aim to understand what are the underlying social norms and economic causes that lead to child marriage in Syria and what can be done to address these?
SECTION IN CHARGE:
Child Protection Section
DURATION:
84 working days within six months period
LOCATION:
Remote and field-based
On-site working days: approximate 22 working days (30 calendar days) in Country
Off-site working days: 62 working days remote
SUPERVISOR:
Chief Child Protection
DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT:
The assignment and related deliverables will be divided into three phases-
Phase I- Conduct a Literature review to consolidate existing and recent data on Child Marriage in Syria. The review will include existing data on child marriage, related indicators and vulnerabilities in Syria, refer to small scale prevalence studies, studies on drivers of child marriage, Humanitarian Response Plans, Regional Refugee and Resilience Plans (3RP) and other critical resources specific to Syria. Including conducting a policy and legislative review that aim to address causes as well as existing prevention and response interventions.
Phase II- This phase will also include conducting a rapid online survey with UNICEF sector colleagues and partners on the vulnerable areas, any reviews or data, locations, drivers for child marriage etc. This will be followed by synthesis of the findings from the survey. Based on the findings, conduct in-person consultative dialogue/key informant interviews with different stakeholders- Government, NGO’s, INGO’s and CBO’s, UNICEF sector colleagues, representatives from Clusters and other identified key stakeholders. The inputs from stakeholder consultations will support in understanding geographical locations based on vulnerability of families and girls at risk of early marriage, potential pilots or programmes that can be strengthened or existing platforms for future programming on different approaches to prevent and respond to child marriage.
Phase III- Draft an Action Plan for Syria Country Office focusing on prevention and response to child marriage. Based on the secondary review of data and primary stakeholder consultations, the Consultant will propose key programmatic approaches, geographic locations and key partners based on feasibility of interventions in Syria. The draft action plan will be reviewed by UNICEF Syria CO and will be finalized based on these inputs.
Additionally, the Consultant will provide periodic technical assistance to the Country Office and partners on programmatic implementation through periodic in- person or remote consultations.
Key Deliverables
Timeline
Payment %
1
Inception Report (Max. 15 pages)
Development of an inception report providing an overall conceptual framework. The report should include-
- Literature review of existing data on prevalence of child marriage in Syria
- Determinants and drivers of child marriage
- Linkages between child marriage and other vulnerabilities such as violence, access to education, health services, employment, displacement, etc
Approx. 10 working days
(Submission date 4th February)
10
2
Stakeholder consultation at country level
- Conduct rapid online survey with UNICEF sector colleagues and partners on the vulnerable areas, any reviews or data, locations etc.
- Synthesis of the findings from the survey.
- Conduct in-person consultative dialogue/key informant interviews with different stakeholders- Government, NGO’s, INGO’s and CBO’s, UNICEF sector colleagues, representatives from Clusters and other identified key stakeholders
Approx. 22 working days
(Completed by Mid-March)
25
3
Final Report (Max. 30 pages)
Based on stakeholder consultations, a final report to be submitted comprising of the following-
- Include essential data from the Literature Review
- Identification of most vulnerable governorates for immediate action
- Existing government and community-based systems and services that can address vulnerabilities related to child marriage
- Opportunities and challenges for programmes at scale to prevent child marriage with scenarios for action
- Community-based platforms for prevention interventions and potential of linkages with existing systems and services to respond to related vulnerabilities
- Key recommendations on programming
Approx. 15 working days
(Submitted by 18th April)
25
4
Action Plan (Max. 15 pages)
Co-design (with Country Office colleagues) strategic programmatic approaches (actionable multi-sectoral plan for the prevention)
which can be implemented at scale
Approx. 15 working days
(Submission by 30th May)
30
5
Technical assistance to Syria Country Office
Provide technical assistance to Syria CO and partners on programmatic implementation of action plan; through periodic in- person or remote consultations
The Consultant will also need to present key findings and recommendations at country specific meetings events
Approx. 22 working days, until 17th June
10
Total number of working days
84
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS (IF APPLICABLE):
- The Consultant will do periodic check in meetings/ calls and email on the progress or challenges while conducting the study for follow up with the Syria country team
- The Consultant will coordinate with the country team to liaise with specific stakeholders
TRAVEL CONSIDERATIONS (PLEASE CHECK IF APPLICABLE):
Should “mission travel” be required, UNICEF will manage and pay for travel via Travel Authorization. However, this will be subject to the following prerequisites: Medical Clearance, Security Clearance through the Travel Request Information Process (TRIP) system, the Basic and Advanced Security in the Field Trainings, Travel Visa, and liability waiver.
Travel cost shall be calculated based on economy class travel, regardless of the length of travel. Costs for accommodation, meals and incidentals shall not exceed applicable daily subsistence allowance (DSA) rates, as promulgated by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC at http://icsc.un.org). The consultant must travel on UNICEF approved airlines.
REMARKS:
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 (unless it is a full time Individual Contract, where the contractor is eligible for Paid Time Off and paid UN official Holidays) or 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.
PAYMENT SCHEDULE:
By Deliverable
Payment upon deliverables/milestones: UNICEF will make milestone payments based on the achievement of specific deliverables as listed in the table above. These payments should be stated in terms of percentage. Also, note that UNICEF does not make advance payment except under certain conditions in line with UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations.
Key Deliverables
Payment %
1
Inception Report finalization
10
2
Completion of stakeholder consultation at country level
25
3
Submission of Final Report
25
4
Submission of Country specific Action Plan
30
5
Technical assistance to Syria Country Office for programmatic implementation of action plan
10
To qualify as a/an [champion or advocate] for every child you will have…
Education:
Advanced university degree or equivalent in social sciences or other relevant field related to child protection
Work experience:
Minimum 8 years of progressive humanitarian experience; at least 2 of which should be field-based or in emergency contexts
Technical knowledge:
- Demonstrated technical expertise in designing programme strategies for prevention and response to harmful practices especially child marriage, prevention of violence against children and gender-based violence.
- Experience of working with conflict-affected communities, including with children and communities
- Proven ability to analyze and synthesize information from a broad range of sources from a child rights and gender perspective
- Proven ability in analytical, methodical and precise style of writing
- Good understanding of the rights-based programming environment for children and their guiding international frameworks
- Experience in working with international organizations or corporations, UNICEF and other UN agencies is an asset
- Familiarity and experience in humanitarian/conflict context is an asset
Languages:
Fluency in spoken and written Arabic will be an asset. Excellent and proven written English communications skills
EVALUATION PROCESS:
Qualified candidates are requested to submit:
- Cover letter/application.
- Financial quote as lump sum for professional fees
- CV.
- Examples of previous, relevant work as applicable
- Proposed methodology/approach to managing the project.
- At least 3 Referees
- TMS Application
For every Child, you demonstrate…
Core values: Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability
The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...
Core competencies:
- Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
- Works Collaboratively with others (1)
- Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
- Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
- Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
- Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
- Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)
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.
UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
Added 2 years ago
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Updated 2 years ago
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Source:
unicef.org
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