Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) for Disabilities Officer

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

Despite the current socio-economic development, disparities in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) still remains in Vietnam. While the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) has declined from 233 per 100,000 live births in 1990’s to 46 per 100,000 live births in 2019, it is 2-3 times higher among ethnic minorities. A modelling analysis conducted by UNFPA in 2020 also estimated a possible increase in MMR by 44-65% as part of the negative impact of COVID-19. While Viet Nam has maintained the national level TFR at replacement level over the past 15 years as per state population policy, which changed its focus from family planning to population and development, regional variations exist between urban and rural areas, and between Northern and Southern provinces. Likewise, unmet need for family planning is higher among ethnic minorities (19-31%) and migrant workers (29.5%) against national average of 7%. It is estimated that 80% of PWDs has never met health workers recently, suggesting high possibility of their SRHR needs not met. Young people are particularly vulnerable, where unmet need for modern contraceptives stands at 29.6%, and the adolescent birth rate at 11 per 1,000. They lack adequate and comprehensive information and services, and the situation is accentuated among ethnic minorities and PWDs. Moreover, cervical cancer has emerged as the second most common cancer affecting SRHR status for women with mortality three times higher than that of pregnancy and childbirth, but there are no financing mechanisms existing to support programmatic interventions. Viet Nam has invested heavily in its public healthcare system, and health spending including on sexual and reproductive health, has increased with the country economic growth in recent years, but adequate financing policies and strengthened sub-national public financial management need to be ensured to achieve universal health care for SRHR services.

The UNFPA Country program 2022-2026 supports the implementation of the National Plan of Action for the Viet Nam Sustainable Goals (VNSGs) for the Decade of Action and the new Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) 2021-2026 under the Socio-Economic Development Strategy (SEDS) 2021-2030 framework, both of which place greater attention to population dynamics and population issues. Rights-based, gender-sensitive, and people-centred approaches will be used, and interventions in relation to humanitarian preparedness and response will be mainstreamed. The UNFPA program will make direct contributions to: (a) Inclusive Social Development; and (b) Governance and Access to Justice, under the theme “Leaving No One Behind” and to reduce inequality and vulnerabilities. UNFPA will contribute to joint initiatives for addressing sexual and reproductive health and Right (SRHR), particularly for adolescents and youth and youth development. It aims at expanding mechanisms/platforms for dialogue between policy/decision makers and young people, particularly vulnerable youth including young PWDs; partnering with youth-led organisations, especially those led by young people with disabilities in the development and implementation of national guidelines on SRHR and CSE for people with disabilities.

Under the direct supervision of Youth Development Specialist and the guidance of Reproductive Health Specialist, and in collaboration with national partners (including Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Training, Youth Union, local organization of people with disabilities and civil society organizations, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: 1. Support the development and dissemination of the national guidelines on sexual and reproductive services in line with UNCRPD. 2. Support the development and dissemination of the national guidelines on comprehen-sive sexuality education in line with UNCRPD. 3. Support evidence based advocacy activities that promote access to and utilization of sexual reproductive health information and services for people with disabilities, with focuses on adolescents and youth with disabilities. 4. Support advocacy activities on sexual reproductive health and rights for people with disabilities in national media and social networks. 5. Provide support in training of out-of-school young people with disabilities on SRH, life skills and advocacy skills to be capable to participate in effective and meaningful poli-cy dialogues to advocate for the rights of young people with disabilities to equally ac-cess to CSE/LSE and SRH services. 6. Support developing of communication including digital communication materials on CSE/LSE for young people with disabilities.
7. Support youth led initiatives on mitigating negative impact of humanitarian crisis on young people with disabilities

☒ Accountability ☒ Adaptability and Flexibility ☒ Building Trust ☒ Client Orientation ☒ Commitment and Motivation ☒ Commitment to Continuous Learning ☒ Communication ☒ Creativity ☒ Empowering Others ☒ Ethics and Values ☒ Integrity ☒ Judgement and Decision-making ☒ Knowledge Sharing ☒ Leadership ☒ Managing Performance ☒ Planning and Organizing ☒ Professionalism ☒ Respect for Diversity ☒ Self-Management ☒ Technological Awareness ☒ Vision ☒ Working in Teams

• Formulation and/or management of programmes/projects, preferably on health related issues in developing countries. • Policy advocacy and/or working with communities, particularly vulnerable populations. • Basic data analyses • Advanced report writing skills • Inter-personal communication skills • Able to work with key office software and social media platforms

Viet Nam is a middle income country which has witnessed rapid economic growth with impressive results in poverty reduction over the past twenty-five years. The country has deepened its integration into global and regional institutions such as the WTO, the UN institutions and ASEAN. Its current path of development is guided by the national Socio Economic Development Strategy from 2021-2030 which was endorsed at the 13th Communist Party Congress in January, 2021.

The incumbent will live in Hanoi which has economic and social amenities at a reasonable cost. Hanoi has a humid, tropical climate and monsoons. Summers, between May and September, are very hot with plenty of rain, while winters, from November to March, are cold and relatively dry. Living conditions in Hanoi are relatively good by developing country standards. In line with, further improvements in the availability of goods and services, health facilities, and housing, the level of hardship in the duty station has recently been upgraded from C to B.

Security is also reasonably good relative to other developing country large cities. Viet Nam was recently ranked as one of the more secure and stable places to live and do business by outside research groups.

As the global wage of COVID 19, Viet Nam has been also hit by COVID-19. However, the COVID-19 has been well contained. As of 17 April 2022, the number of confirmed cases is 10,432,547 and the number of deaths remains at 42,944. Viet Nam has started to implement the national COVID 19 vaccination rolling out with very high fully vaccination rate (80%).
The hybrid work strategy will likely be a key feature in Vietnam’s new normal as it reopens its economy. Since the pandemic, a new work model has been permeating offices worldwide. The hybrid workplace is a relatively new model that has allowed employees to work from home while allowing them to come to the office depending on the pandemic situation and movement restrictions. In Vietnam’s context, while this trend is not new, the pandemic and associated lockdowns have accelerated the hybrid model, particularly in the larger cities.

REASONABLE ACCOMODATION

The UN system wishes to create an inclusive workplace and commits to taking appropriate measures to enable persons with disabilities to access and benefit equally from employment and other engagement opportunities such as volunteering, by providing reasonable accommodation. In this context, “reasonable accommodation” means necessary and appropriate modifications and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.[Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 2].