Communications Officer

Details

Mission and objectives

The Child Protection Programme of UNICEF Ghana is committed to ensuring that by 2022, girls and boys in Ghana, especially the most disadvantaged, increasingly benefit from an equitable and integrated child protection system that better protect them from violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect. The system is focus on the establishment of effective structures, functions and capacities that can prevent and respond to all child protection issues. It also seeks to integrate the actions of families (and children including adolescents), communities, formal and informal laws and practices together to protect children. To achieve these, strategic investments are made to: i) Bringing relevant policy, legal and regulatory framework in line with international standards and good practices ii) strengthening the capacity of formal and informal service providers actors to prevent and respond effectively to protection issues; and iii) supporting interventions aimed at behavioural and social change among girls, boys, families and communities. Among all children, adolescent girls in Ghana are disproportionately affected by child protection concerns, including exposure to gender discrimination, child marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting, sexual violence, unsafe migration and trafficking, among others. The purpose of the proposed UNV assignment is to provide assistance to the Child Protection section of UNICEF Ghana in further developing and strengthening its interventions for better protection of adolescent girls, by working closely with particularly vulnerable group of girls, their families and communities, service providers and other key local and national stakeholders.

Context

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. Equity 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.

Task description

Under the supervision of the Chief of Communication and Advocacy, the National UN Volunteer will undertake the following functions: •Assist in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of an advocacy and communication strategy to promote respect for children’s and women’s rights, and support UNICEF's mission in the country, with a particular emphasis on supporting the regions covered by the Tamale Field Office •Work with the Chief, Communication and Advocacy and Programme focal points in the Tamale Field Office to design and implement a 12-month communication plan showcasing the impact and results of work and partnerships to deliver results for children in the targeted northern regions. •Assist in writing human interest stories and blogs: this may include editing / re-writing stories contributed by non-communication staff •Work with focal points in the Communication team to develop and implement emergency preparedness and response plans. •Support the Chief, Field Office with social media presence and event activity •Support the Field Office in the preparation of donor-relations, and / or advocacy priority field visits. This includes drafting agenda, liaising with focal points within UNICEF and key partners, conducting a preparatory field visit, drafting key talking points, briefings, engaging audiovisual team and journalists, where appropriate •Assist Communication Section team members in events, launches, campaigns, and other key communication activities •Develop and maintain strong relations with editors, journalists and other key media focal persons in Tamale, Northern Region •Support the Communication team in Accra with high-profile events, or visits that extend beyond the five regions