Communications and External Relations Associate (Odesa)

Details

Mission and objectives

The UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund, promotes gender equality, reproductive health, youth empowerment. The organization was created in 1969, the same year the UN General Assembly declared “parents have the exclusive right to determine freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children”. Together with partners, UNFPA works in 150 countries, and in Ukraine since 1997. Our mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA in Ukraine works for: • creating conditions in which every young person can fulfil the potential, lead a healthy lifestyle, know their reproductive rights and take an active social life; • conducting sexual and reproductive health campaigns to improve access to health and care services and improve its quality, especially for young people; • combating gender stereotypes in society (through the media, compulsory education for civil servants on gender mainstreaming, the improvement of national gender policy and anti-discrimination expertise of school textbooks); • providing information and services to gender-based violence survivors through the creation of crisis centres, supporting the work of mobile teams of psycho-social and support, providing expert support and raising general awareness in society.

Context

Since the start of the large-scale military invasion of Russia to Ukraine in February 2022, UNFPA implements a comprehensive nationwide Humanitarian Response Plan to provide lifesaving GBV and SRH services to women and girls across Ukraine. Through its Gender-Based Violence in Emergency (GBViE) Programme, UNFPA contributes to improving protection and security of women and girls, and thus, their willingness to participate in community life, including in war-affected communities. Women’s engagement and empowerment in community dialogue, including in displacement, is essential for laying a strong foundation for recovery and sustainable peace and development. UNFPA is seeking highly motivated candidates that share our passion of making a sound contribution to creating a Ukrainian society free from gender-based violence. We need strong professionals who are innovative, committed to excellence and keen to transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results

Task description

Under the supervision of the Crisis Communications Specialist and Emergency Response Coordinator, the Communications and External Relations Associate will support in collecting multimedia content from the field, advise on gaps in response, and advocate for the humanitarian operations in the Southern Oblasts. More specifically, the Communications and External Relations Associate will perform the following key functions: Assist Communications Specialist and the Emergency Response Coordinator in: * Creating compelling content, including articles, social media posts, and multimedia materials, to raise awareness and support for UNFPA's initiatives. * Rapidly responding to the Kyiv office with communication materials. * Contributing original high-quality photo and video assets to UNFPA’s multimedia bank. * Collaborating with internal teams and external partners to identify storytelling opportunities and develop impactful narratives that highlight UNFPA's work. * Monitoring local media coverage and public discourse related to UNFPA’s mandate and providing timely analysis and recommendations to enhance UNFPA's communication efforts. * Liaising with partners and operational organizations on GBV and SRH response in close consultation with the GBV Field Coordinator, SRH Analyst, and SRH Specialist. * Liaising with Implementing Partners operating in relevant Oblasts, in consultation with IP Focal Points. * Supporting in arranging meetings, roundtables, seminars, and other events related to the work of communication and external relations for the Emergency Response Team in the South, taking notes, and producing related reports. * Following up on the implementation of assigned tasks (including meetings, reporting, and others). * Assisting with written and oral translations and interpretation when needed. * Performing other tasks as assigned. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities: * Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); * Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country. * Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities. * Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; * Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers; * Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.