Details
Mission and objectives
UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. UNV and UNICEF have designed the YOUNG WOMEN TALENTS IN MENA initiative, aimed at promoting more diversity within UNICEF Workforce in MENA region. Embarking on a new Strategic Plan 2022-2025, UNICEF continues its effort to build a child- and youth-powered organization. While UNICEF has been strategically engaging Youth and Women in the programmatic context, it has not fully leveraged to engage these groups in Country- and Regional- levels. To enhance the mechanisms for Youth Engagement and Gender Parity, UNICEF MENA and DHR will develop a youth-oriented programme in collaboration with the UN Volunteer programme, as a cost-effective talent solution to engage young professionals, while supporting their professional growth for a successful career at UNICEF and the UN System in general. Based on the Region’s specific needs, the programme will initially target female candidates and nationals of MENA countries. In order to support the implementation of this initiative, as well as to foster knowledge about UN Volunteers among different UNICEF Operations in the Arab Region, UNICEF and UNV ROs agreed to dedicate a capacity (National UN Volunteer) to the UNICEF Regional Office for one year to coordinate the partnership efforts.
Context
UNICEF reaffirms its commitment to leaving no one behind and promoting gender equality in all its programmes. UNICEF’s work on gender equality is guided by the Gender Action Plan 2018-2022, which advances gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in key areas of UNICEF's work.. This UNV assignment is part of UNICEF’s programme initiative; Advancing Young People’s Learning, Social Inclusion and Transition to Work in partnership with The Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) of the Government of Canada. The actions seek to address gender-related barriers to equal outcomes for young people and to promote girls’ empowerment. Through targeted activities, UNICEF will support girls’ equal participation in learning, skill development, and employability, which will contribute to their empowerment and expansion of options as they transition to adulthood. It targets socially excluded, disengaged, unskilled and vulnerable girls and boys (10-24 years) from Anbar, Baghdad, and Basra. National UN Specialist Volunteers in Jordan are entitled to: - Monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) at the amount of USD 1501.91 ; - Annual and learning leaves; - Free life and medical insurance; and - Free access to different learning platforms. For more information on UN Volunteer benefits, entitlements and support, please visit: https://www.unv.org/volunteer-your-country-conditions-service
Task description
Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Chief, Youth & Adolescent Development, the UNV National Gender Specialist will: •Lead and oversee all Gender Equality (GE) components and strategies outlined under the proposed project. focus on ensuring socially excluded girls’ right to skills development and learning, including tailored transitions to entrepreneurship, work. •Provide hands-on technical quality assurance ensuring that the GE elements are strongly mainstreamed in all stages of programme management, including programme planning/design, implementation and monitoring/evaluation and reporting based on RBM principles. •Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to collect/analyze/share information on implementation issues with linkages to gender equality, suggest solutions on routine programme implementation and submit report to alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level intervention and/or decision. •Keep record of reports and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned. •Lead the strengthening of national and local capacities for GE concepts and approaches; identify and lead new initiatives to strengthen national and local capacities for gender equality. This includes guidance on region-specific strategic direction, ensuring technical excellence and overseeing the quality of programmatic work on gender equality. •Provide strategic advice and technical support to the Government and CSO stakeholders to help integrate gender into programmes interventions, expand networks and partnerships with appropriate government counterparts, civil society, youth groups and other stakeholders for GE and girls’ empowerment including tools and approaches that aims to provide knowledge, techniques, and tools to develop skills and changes in attitudes and behaviors. •Strengthen and expand inter-agency meetings/events on gender programming to collaborate with inter-agency partners on gender programs/projects. Identify and synthesize global and regional best practices and lessons learned for knowledge development, innovative methods to advance GE results •Liaise, support, and assist field level PM&E staff and Iraq CO Gender Focal Point/Gender Specialist in overseeing the effective integration, monitoring and reporting of the GE components. Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual programme reviews with government and other counterparts and prepare minutes/reports on results for follow up action by higher management and other stakeholders. •Support and work with local partners in ensuring reporting requirements are fully understood and adhered to (i.e translating the robust log frame into actual documentation and reporting on results according to set indicators). •Prepare technical reports and inputs for programme preparation and documentation, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and relevancy of information. Ensure gender equality approches put fort by the program are well reflected and addressed •Strengthen community engagement with young girls (10-24 years) in targeted location to ensure girl-centered programming. •Participate and support in evidence-based programme/project planning on gender, incorporating robust measurement and evaluation of results. •Support indicator identification, measurement and performance tracking as it relates to gender mainstreaming and girls’ empowerment in the project activities. •Participate in cross-sectoral collaboration and coordination on key programmatic results on gender, ensuring coherence, maximization of synergies and efficiency in the utilization of resources and delivery of results on gender and girls’ empowerment. •Provide technical support and guidance to national government, NGOs and other local-level partners on aspects of gender programming and to ensure incorporation of gender indicators and measures in programmes/projects and policy initiatives. •Liaise and consult with sections, government, and other external partners (civil society, NGOs, private sector) to support convergence, and develop and reinforce partnerships in gender programming. •Support building and maintenance of partnerships for gender equality with various partners, including institutional links with UN agencies and other relevant entities. •Ensure gender equality approaches put forward by the program are well reflected and addressed •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.