Child Protection Specialist (Gender Based Violence), NOC, 364 days TA, Athens, Greece - Greek Nationals only

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Purpose:

The Child Protection (GBV) specialist will be accountable for the formulation, design, planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation of Child Protection section’s Gender Based Violence (GBV) programming, with a focus on refugee and migrant children and families, including adolescent boys and girls. This work will be undertaken within the context of the broader child protection work. The Child Protection (GBV) Specialist will also support protection mainstreaming in education and other programming as relevant within the UNICEF Refugee and Migrant Response in Greece. 

More specifically, the specialist will help manage and provide technical support for GBViE programming that aims to enhance and diversify the range of GBV prevention, mitigation and response services provided to refugee and migrant children (including adolescent boys and girls) and adult survivors through two distinct intervention strategies. 

First, by strengthening protection of children and women by ensuring that survivors of gender-based violence benefit from life-saving, coordinated multi-sectoral services and systems including by:

• Increasing the availability and accessibility of child protection gender-sensitive health, psychosocial and safety services for refugee and migrant women, men, boys and girls;
• Supporting the development and/or implementation of functional GBV referral pathways within the larger framework of child protection and violence referral mechanisms;
• Ensuring that refugee and migrant survivors are aware of the availability and value of child protection and GBV services. 

Secondly, by preventing violence against children and women, including GBV by reducing the likelihood of its occurrence through multi-sectoral risk mitigation actions including by:

• Engaging with key stakeholders to improve security and reduce violence, including GBV risks for refugees and migrants children, adolescents and adults in line with the IASC GBV Guidelines;
• Carrying out prevention activities designed to increase the self-confidence and GBV prevention-related life-skills of refugee and migrant children, adolescents and adults at risk;
• Using various forms of mass and social media to inform refugee and migrant children, adolescents and adults at risk as well as the general public about relevant child protection and GBV response and prevention services and actions they can take to increase their safety and resilience. 

Major duties and responsibilities 

The Child Protection (GBV) Specialist will responsible for the following: 

• Contribute to the preparation of ongoing situation reports, periodic updates and analyses, by compiling and analysing data, and related information on child protection, including GBV, and prepare written inputs accordingly to inform effective program planning, development and management. Support efforts to ensure gender/sex disaggregated data and inputs relevant to the Child Protection programme are collected, analyzed and reported on in a regular manner.  

• Design, prepare, implement, monitor and evaluate GBV projects in the child protection sector in partnership with civil society and government actors. This includes working with existing UNICEF partners to strengthen GBV components of ongoing work and identifying new partners to take forward an expanded portfolio of UNICEF’s work on GBV. Monitor, analyse and evaluate project results to ensure achievement of objectives and take corrective action when necessary.    

• Provide technical support to civil society and government partners and counterparts in the area of violence prevention and response, including GBV, in the interest of building their capacity to respond to the specific GBV prevention and protection needs of refugee and migrant children and families, including adolescent boys and girls. This includes strengthening prevention in terms of life skills programming and empowerment groups, as well as strengthening protection frameworks for identification, reporting, referral and case management. Identify training needs and objectives for the purpose of capacity building, program sustainability and promotion and advocacy.  

• Develop partnerships with knowledge and academic institutions as appropriate for expanded collection and analysis of relevant data to further understanding of social norms and harmful practices to children, particularly girls. Contribute to the development and/or introduction and documentation of new approaches, methods and practices in GBV programming for refugee and migrant children and families. 

• Assist in development of appropriate public communication and information strategies and materials to support and advocate for child protection, including GBV, prevention and response through increased awareness and behaviour change. 

• Strengthen GBV focus within existing child protection coordination mechanisms including through participation in relevant in inter-agency forums, and strengthening and promoting GBV components within inter-sectoral protection frameworks, support to refining and implementing of child protection/GBV  SOPs including in urban settings. 

• Through advocacy and policy dialogue, including through GBV and Child Protection coordination frameworks, work to facilitate the understanding of the importance of addressing gender based violence by all stakeholders, including through national and local level planning and investment frameworks. Participate in meetings with relevant state authorities, other actors and donors to discuss and represent UNICEF’s work on GBV. 

• Support all UNICEF sectors (with a focus on Child Protection and Education) to integrate elements of GBV risk mitigation into their programming, in-line with the IASC Guidelines on Integrating Gender-based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Action (GBV Guidelines). 

• Promote knowledge management including through drafting/finalizing GBV inputs into Child Protection sectoral programme documents and reports, including donor reports, sharing good practices, lessons learned, and knowledge/information exchange with all partners on GBV prevention and response, and harnessing knowledge institutions resources and partnerships as appropriate.

Minimum Qualification

• Advanced university degree or first university degree in Social Work, Gender Studies, or other field related social/humanitarian sciences.
• At least 5 years professional experience working on violence against children, and in particular gender based violence, including with refugee and migrant populations in displacement and integration contexts.
• Ability to work through networking and partnership.
• Experience developing GBV prevention programs with a focus on children and adolescents, including adolescent boys.
• Experience in addressing GBV issues in a multi-cultural environment with a view to supporting the adaptation and increased accessibility of services.
• Experience carrying out applied capacity building of front line workers identification, assessment and referral of GBV cases
• Knowledge of key standards and resources on GBV in emergencies, including the IASC GBV Guidelines.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships.
• Ability to work with professionals from other disciplines to deliver collaborative assessment results strengthening the quality of care provided.  
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively. Spoken and written fluency in English and Greek.

Core Values

• Commitment
• Diversity and inclusion
• Integrity

Core competencies

• Communication (II)
• Working with people (II)
• Drive for results (II)

Functional Competencies: 

• Leading and supervising (I)
• Formulating strategies and concepts (II)
• Analyzing (III)
• Relating and networking (II)
• Deciding and Initiating action (II)
• Applying technical expertise (III)

To view our competency framework, please click here. 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization.

As this is a National level position - only Greek nationals can be considered.