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To contract services for a consultant to support the implementation of gender-based violence and HIV related programming in Jamaica

Home Based - May require travel

  • Organization: UNWOMEN - United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
  • Location: Home Based - May require travel
  • Grade: Consultancy - International Consultant - Internationally recruited Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • HIV and AIDS
    • Women's Empowerment and Gender Mainstreaming
    • Information Technology and Computer Science
    • Gender-based violence
    • Drugs, Anti-Money Laundering, Terrorism and Human Trafficking
  • Closing Date: Closed

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. The UN Women Caribbean Multi-Country Office (MCO) is located in Barbados, covering the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean.

UN Women’s programming in Jamaica is covered by the UN Women Multi-Country Office – Caribbean (Barbados), and constitutes a significant proportion of UN Women’s portfolio in the region. Programme support is primarily focused on combating gender-based violence (GBV), HIV Prevention, strengthening women’s economic empowerment; and strengthening the institutional mechanisms in support of national commitments to advancing gender equality and combating GBV.  As UN Women moves towards a more long-term, comprehensive programmatic approach at the country level, it is important that resources be brought to bear to support effective and timely implementation of the programming.

The world has pledged within the Sustainable Development Goals to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030. The Caribbean has been defined as the area with the second highest prevalence in HIV in the world.  This description takes into account Haiti and the Dominican Republic, in addition to the other Caribbean countries and territories. 

While the most pronounced decline in new infections since 2001 (49%) has occurred in the Caribbean, HIV continues to be driven by gender inequalities and harmful gender norms that promote unsafe sex and reduce access to HIV and sexual and reproductive health services for women. Throughout the Caribbean, the prevalence rate of HIV among teenage girls is much higher than that of teenage boys, this is a reflection of the vulnerability girls and young women face vis-a-vis transactional sex, sexual abuse and inter-generational sex. This is also manifested through the still high rate of teenage pregnancy in the region. At every point along the HIV/AIDS continuum, from preventing the spread of the virus to diminishing its impact, this crisis is different for women and men. Gender interacts with HIV through four primary pathways: i) gender inequality influences susceptibility to infection; ii) gender inequality affects clinical outcomes and the experience of those infected; iii) gender inequality influences the effectiveness of the actions taken to control the epidemic, and iv) the pandemic and the response to it also have the potential to in turn influence gender inequality, either positively or negatively.

The tendency of many national programmes in the Caribbean is to address women in the context of their reproductive role; and much less so in the context of their gender and the implications for vulnerability because of gender.  It must be noted that addressing women in their reproductive role is very legitimate in the context of epidemic control, especially when there is a clinical/health service/behavioural response available to reduce the number of children born with HIV in a relatively short period of time.  This is illustrated in the priority given to the reduction and elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV.  This has enjoyed great success in the Caribbean; indeed, Jamaica is now in the process of being assessed by WHO for the status of elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV.

The challenge however is that this essential but narrow approach does not ensure that the root causes of women and girls’ vulnerability to HIV infection is addressed in a manner that will reduce these vulnerabilities in a sustained way.  It does not ensure that the core challenges to women’s human rights and gender equality are confronted.

With the financial support of UNAIDS through the Unified Budget, Results and Accountability Framework (UBRAF), as the latest co-sponsor, UN Women Multi Country Office – Caribbean is building upon previous work with government and civil society organizations at the regional and national (Jamaica) level to address the gender-based vulnerabilities to HIV/AIDS and to address the intersection between HIV and Gender- Based Violence.

Duties and Responsibilities

Focus of Programming for 2019

Given the current scope of support to programming in Jamaica within the context of UNAIDS/UBRAF, the past work of UN Women related to addressing gender-based vulnerabilities to HIV, and the outcome of a Symposium to chart the way forward in terms of intervention methodologies and strategic approaches to addressing HIV and related gender- based vulnerabilities namely gender based violence; the Multi Country Office is recruiting the services of a consultant to undertake the following:

Objectives of the assignment

Under the overall supervision of the UN Women MCO - Caribbean Representative the consultant will complete the following:

  • Prepare a consultancy work plan and timeline, in coordination with UN Women;
  • Finalize- the draft for the University of the West Indies Mona, including the incorporation of a monitoring and evaluation framework;
  • Liaise with partners and UN Women, to do the following:
    • Ensure the implementation of strengthened multi-sectoral education programmes for service providers related to gender-based HIV vulnerabilities including GBV and other related stigma and discrimination;
    • Support and supervise the technical support and pilot exercise for the Foundations programme in Jamaica;
    • Support and provide technical inputs into the design and roll out of national campaign on Stigma and GBV in collaboration with the UNJT on HIV;
  • Provide programme and advisory support to the national partners and the UN agencies implementing Joint Programming on HIV and GBV as well as the provision of technical support to the UN Country Team’s Human Rights and Gender Theme Group;
  • Provide weekly email updates to UN Women, on the progress made, identify challenges and request support as needed.

Scope of Work and Deliverables

Within a maximum  a 100-day working period:

  • Consultancy Workplan and timeline, in coordination with UN Women;
  • Monthly written reports on the progress of programmes and activities in Jamaica;
  • Report on workshops consultations, workshops and meetings with stakeholders with inputs for refinement of the Strategic Plan on Safety and Sexual Health;
  • Strategic Plan on Safety and Sexual Health – Final version with M&E framework for the UWI Mona;
  • Draft implementation pathway for the roll out of the Strategic Plan on Safety and Sexual Health from the start of the academic year 2020/2021 onwards;
  • Draft Action Plans for Essential Services (health and security) which will guide implementation of the Plan;
  • Participation in monthly meetings of the UN Joint Team on HIV-AIDs and the UN Theme Group on Gender and Human Rights.

Reporting Requirements

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Representative, UN MCO Caribbean.

Competencies

The consultant should meet the following criteria:

Core Values/Guiding Principles:

  • Respect for Diversity;
  • Integrity;
  • Professionalism.

Core Competencies:

  • Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
  • Accountability;
  • Creative Problem Solving;
  • Effective Communication;
  • Inclusive Collaboration;
  • Stakeholder Engagement;
  • Leading by Example.

Functional Competencies:

  • Demonstrated experience in situation analysis and strategic action planning;
  • Demonstrated knowledge of sexual and reproductive health issues, with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS and Gender-Based Violence;
  • Demonstrated experience in the development and delivery of training modules related to HIV and Gender;
  • Demonstrated experience in the application of Results-Based Management Methodology.

Required Skills and Experience

Required skills and experience:

Education:

Masters in Social Science, Law, Political Science, Gender and Development, or Public Health.

Experience:

  • At least five (5) years’ experience in project and programme development and management;
  • Working experience in sexual and reproductive health issues, especially HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean would be an asset;
  • Demonstrable research experience in gender and sexual health (at least 5 years).

Languages :

  • Fluency in English is required.

References:

  • Minimum of three client references that include the name of the contact person, title and contact information.

Remuneration:

  • The consultancy fee will be negotiated before contracting. Each payment will be based on a predefined and formal agreement between UN Women and the consultant and will be disbursed based on satisfactory completion of agreed deliverables.

Hardware, Software and Communication:

  • The consultant must be equipped with a laptop, which must be portable and must run at least Windows 7. The consultant must be reasonably accessible by email and telephone (preferably mobile). The use of reliable, internet-based (Skype or equivalent) is required.

Location and Duration:

  • The consultant will be home based and be engaged for a maximum of one hundred (100) working days during the period 15 May – 30 November 2019. No travel is required.

Other:

  • The consultant contracted will be required to sign a statement of confidentiality and freedom from any conflict of interest with potential future contractors with respect to the TORs and work that they will be delivering.

Note:

Submissions to UNDP Jobs are limited to a maximum of 10 MB, virus-free or corrupted contents to avoid rejection, and no more than 1 email transmission.   As such, all application materials must be scanned into one document and submitted.

All applications must be submitted through UNDP jobs.  Please do not send applications to UN Women staff as they will not be accepted.

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.
This vacancy is now closed.
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