Child Protection Specialist (Gender Based Violence) (El Gedaref) – UNICEF
Job Description
| Job no | 568509 |
| Contract type | Fixed Term Appointment |
| Location | Gedaref |
| Level | P-4 |
| Categories | Child Protection |
| Advertised | 24 Dec 2023 E. Africa Standard Time |
| Deadline | 07 Jan 2024 E. Africa Standard Time |
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, strength
Positioned among East, West, and North Africa, and close to the Middle East, Sudan is surrounded by pre-existing crises and complex emergencies in an unpredictable, volatile, and rapidly evolving region. By size the third biggest country in Africa, with a diverse population of around 42 million people. Sudan’s children make up half of the total population, and the past two decades have seen their lives significantly improve: fewer girls and boys are dying before their fifth birthday, primary school attendance is increasing, immunization coverage is high and the country remains polio-free.
Recent developments, such as the 2019 revolution, and the global COVID-19 pandemic, created new challenges and opportunities. The space for civic engagement including notably for youth and women’s groups, widened and presented a space for new types of engagement. In addition, following the ousting of the previous regime, strides were made for legal reform and policy development providing a stronger framework for realizing the rights of girls and women.
The military coup of 25 October 2021 brought about a more fluid environment with uncertainties in the implementation landscape.
Heavy fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted on 15 April 2023, displacing more than 2.6 million people within Sudan, and an additional 757,000 people to neighboring countries. Millions of the most vulnerable children and families are caught in the crossfire with no or limited access to essential services including water, food, healthcare, and safety.
The first 10 months of 2023 have witnessed a four-fold increase in the number of grave child rights violations verified in Sudan, as compared to 2022 figures reported in the 2022 UN Secretary-General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict, including sexual violence.
UNICEF is implementing interventions to address response, mitigation, and prevention of gender-based violence, alongside the nexus of humanitarian-peace-development.
How can you make a difference?
As part of UNICEF’s Core Commitment for Children in Humanitarian Action, the Country office is expected to actively contribute to GBV coordination structures within the Humanitarian Cluster approach as well as address Gender Violence (GBV) from a programming perspective, within the child protection system strengthening approach.
To fulfill this function, under the overall guidance and supervision of the Chief of Child Protection the UNICEF GBV Specialist will be responsible for strengthening planning, implementation, monitoring, and coordination, of GBV mitigation, prevention, and response alongside the nexus humanitarian-peace- development, throughout all stages of programming.
This will include strengthening synergies with existing programs on GBV prevention, namely the joint initiative promoting abandonment of harmful practices, and with case management services for child and adolescent survivors.
Key functions, accountabilities, and related duties:
- Oversee and contribute to the gender-based violence work stream of the Child protection section including coordination and technical inputs to ongoing programs
- Advocacy, networking, and partnership building
- Program monitoring and quality control of results
- Innovation, knowledge management, and capacity building
You can check the Job Description of this post here:
JD – Child Protection Specialist GBV.docx
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
- Advanced university degree in Social Sciences, social work child psychology, or a related technical field is required.
- A minimum of eight years of relevant professional experience in the field of child protection and/or GBV mitigation, prevention, and response;
- Extensive field experience in case management in developing and emergency contexts.
- A minimum of 8 years experience with either the UN and/or NGO, especially in emergency settings.
- Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of the Arabic language is an added asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values
UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.
During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.
UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
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 is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children.
Remarks:
This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is: a role with direct contact with children, works directly with children, and is a safeguarding response role. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) apply.
UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable females are encouraged to apply.
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.
All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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.
Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
Advertised: 24 Dec 2023 E. Africa Standard Time
Deadline: 07 Jan 2024 E. Africa Standard Time
