Gender and Protection Programme Officer

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

UNICEF’s Programme in Italy was set up in 2016 to respond to a large influx of unaccompanied minors arriving primarily through the Central Mediterranean route.

Since the beginning of the migrant and refugee influx, UNICEF is responding to the unique needs of children and women who are seeking asylum in Europe, on the move, stranded or pushed back. In Italy, a two-pronged approach combines humanitarian service delivery with capacity building, policy reform, system strengthening and technical assistance on child protection, gender-based violence (GBV) and PSEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse), with partner organizations and governments. Furthermore, UNICEF collaborates with partners on projects providing specialized support, including psychosocial assistance to boys and girls, particularly unaccompanied and separated children (UASC). UNICEF also focuses on providing alternative care to UASC, guarantee international standards in reception system, support the guardianship system, protect the most vulnerable and invisible children outside the formal protection system and promote the participation of adolescent boys and girls in all the decisions concerning them.

GBV Programme is one of the key pillars of UNICEF Response that focuses on the provision of critical life-saving services and information to enhance the range and accessibility of GBV prevention, mitigation and response services for refugee and migrant women and girls in Italy, through a multi-sectoral approach.

UNICEF-supported interventions in Italy continue to focus on strengthening the protection system through knowledge generation, evidence-based advocacy and the capacity development of frontline workers, working closely with ministries, universities, civil society organizations and more. This approach is based on UNICEF’s GBViE Theory of Change, which aims to support better access to quality services, decrease the likelihood of GBV, and address the root causes of GBV through policy and legal reform.

Within the delegated authority and undWithin the delegated authority and under the supervision of GBV/Gender Programme Specialist or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV GBV/Gender Programme Officer will support the overall GBV programme, contributing to overall protection system strengthening. Three streams of work are linked to UNICEF’s GBV programming: supporting survivors with access to a comprehensive set of services, mitigating the risk of GBV across environments including by empowering women and girls, preventing GBV by addressing its underlying conditions and drivers, engaging with government and relevant ministries. These streams are further complemented by efforts to mainstream gender and implement PSEA activities:

Technical Support:

· Support operational capacity development efforts and provide technical support on gender mainstreaming in all programmes;

· Act as a gender and PSEA focal point of the UNICEF outpost team in Italy in coordination with the regional office:

· Support efforts to ensure that programme activities are implemented in line with organizational guidelines and timelines, while promoting accountability, efficiency, and the integration of cross-cutting issues such as gender and PSEA;

· Provide support in the organization of online and in-person GBV training sessions, workshops and other meetings as required;

· Assist in the development of concept notes, advocacy papers, letters presentations and other background documents, as required;

· Assist in building strategic alliances with other key actors internally and externally to advocate for gender-sensitive programming;

· Support project management across each stage of the project cycle, including assisting in the preparation of project documents (PD), tracking progress against indicators, supporting coordination with partners and stakeholders, and contributing to the drafting of reports and documentation.

· Provide support to the overall implementation of the GBV program with other tasks, as needed.

Coordination:

· Assist in UN inter-agency coordination including monitoring and updating joint action-plans;

· Support the organization of meetings, conferences and webinars;

· Assist in preparing background material and taking minutes, as needed;

· Participate in the global and regional gender and GBV networks and coordination groups as needed;

· Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.


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.