UN WOMEN Jobs - 97315- Programme Consultant - Sexual, Reproductive, Mater

Programme Consultant - Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health (SRMNCAH)

Advertised on behalf of

UN WOMEN

Location :

Home-Based (with expected travels within the region if possible), KENYA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

09-Mar-21 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

9 months

UNDP 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. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

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 Eastern & Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) maintains a large presence in 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 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; and also leaves them 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 is made more challenging during public health emergencies such as 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 due to fear of infection the family and care givers 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). Important for the implementation of Agenda 2030, the actions under this programme will contribute towards meeting commitments under the SDG Goal 5 on gender equality where all the targets are relevant, but specifically the target 5.6 on sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. Additionally, multiple targets across Goal 3 on health are significant for SRMNCAH. At the regional level, several instruments and policies are in place to promote SRMNCAH which include the African Union Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Continental Policy Framework (2005) which is operationalized through the Maputo Plan of Action. There are several national and sectoral policies around SRMNCAH and refugee rights that have been considered in design of POWER.

Objective of the POWER Programme:

The programme is aimed at addressing the barriers that are preventing women, children and adolescents from demanding and realizing their rights to SRMNCAH services and seek 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 to exercise their SRMNCAH rights and seek services.

The POWER programme will be implemented in selected geographies in humanitarian settings in Ethiopia and Uganda and will have some interventions at the regional level for the Horn of Africa (HoA) region.

Duties and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Policy Specialist (EVAW) and in the interim the Deputy Regional Director, 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) while working in collaboration 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 where need be work with the HQ HIV Policy unit on the progress and submission of the deliverables in a timely manner.

The specific roles will include:

Provide inputs to country documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to POWER humanitarian interventions;
Develop and implement technical tools, and initiatives for the POWER programme;
Build and manage relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of the POWER programme;
Develop and coordinate capacity building and training efforts for POWER;
Monitor programme implementation using results-based management tools and provide suggestions for intervention as needed;
Organize regular meetings with Regional country programme focal points for information sharing on current progress on implementation process and identify areas of technical support by regional office;
Coordinate the development, consolidation, review, and submission of narrative report to HQ focusing on results, outputs and outcomes;
Develop the final 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;
Develop and review background documents, briefs and presentations related to the Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal Health Care;
Facilitate the operationalization a regional policy dialogue forum adopting the SIGI index data to address barriers to SRMNCAH in humanitarian settings;
Organize training of regional stakeholders on budgeting for developing gender-responsive humanitarian response plans and advocacy for budgetary allocations for SRMNCAH.

Deliverables:

Project narrative report as well as the end of project report finalized, and shared with the HQ;
Document, share and replicate best practices and strategies on community solutions that promote SRMNCAH rights in humanitarian settings;
Prepare knowledge management strategies, products and methodologies on Sexual, Reproductive, and Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health in Humanitarian Settings;
Undertake training of regional stakeholders for budgeting for developing gender-responsive humanitarian response plans and advocacy for budgetary allocations for SRMNCAH;
Organize regional policy dialogue forum on SIGI index adoption;
Finalize and disseminate a regional reference document highlighting SRMNCAH strategies in humanitarian settings;
Organize training for women in relevant government ministries, RECs, parliamentarians, and key advocates on gender responsive SRMNCAH rights in humanitarian settings;
Develop an design interactive knowledge products.

Competencies

Core Values:

Respect for Diversity
Integrity
Professionalism

Core Competencies:

Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding SRMNCAH
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 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;
Working experience within the East and Southern Africa region is an asset;
Proven experience in holding trainings and workshops for government and regional counterparts;
Proven expertise in knowledge management;
Good Knowledge of AU and RECs in East and Southern Africa.

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.