Consultancy - Conceptual Clarity Paper On Gender Based Violence Including Sexual Violence Against Children, LACRO, Panama City (3 Months)

UNICEF LACRO is looking for a consultant to prepare a 15–20-page paper in order to bring conceptual clarity regarding GBV and sexual violence.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, protection

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Background

Violence remains a fact of life for far too many children, including adolescents, and women, affecting their physical and mental health and well-being, access to services, and educational and livelihood outcomes, and increasing their vulnerability to poverty, discrimination and crisis. Violence against women within the home often occurs with and shares some similar risk factors and consequences as violence against children. Following the growing evidence on the intersections of violence against women and violence against children, UNICEF has increasingly called for greater attention to the gender-dimensions of violence against children and adolescents.1

The UNICEF strategic plan notes the importance of addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in emergencies and to invest in delivering comprehensive quality and age-appropriate services to prevent GBV and respond to survivors of GBV. This is an integral part of the child protection system, as is also emphasized within the UNICEF Child Protection Strategy (2021-2030). The Gender Action Plan (GAP) 2022-2025 calls on UNICEF to address GBV by adopting a multisectoral strategy across all Goal Areas,
using sector-wide and survivor-centered approaches. The Strategy also recognizes violence against women as a particular area of concern.

1 https://www.unicef.org/media/93986/file/Child-Protection-Gender-Dimensions-of-VACAG-2021.pdf

Children and women in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) experience high levels of violence and ending violence against children is a flagship priority for all UNICEF offices in the region. Within this Flagship there is a focus on three types of violence – armed violence, sexual violence, and corporal punishment – all of which may exemplify gender-based violence. Lack of conceptual clarity regarding gender-based violence and specifically sexual violence has been detected in different contexts. In
practice, the terminology gender-based violence, violence against women and girls and sexual violence are often used as synonyms. The differences between GBV and sexual violence when it involves children is not always well articulated. This affects how UNICEF staff may be understood and may limit the scope of violence identification and programming. In addition, programming on GBV is sometimes being done in a vertical, issue-based manner, outside of the (specialized) child protection systems approach.

UNICEF LACRO is seeking a consultant to develop a short conceptual clarity paper that discusses what is gender-based violence and sexual violence in the Latin America and Caribbean context. It will aid UNICEF child protection, violence against children, GBV and gender specialists to more accurately apply these terms and better design projects and programmes to address violence against girls, boys, women and men in all their diversity, including GBV, in the region, including in emergency settings.

The UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office is based in Panama, operating in 36 territories, including 24 country offices. The UNICEF offices in the region have prioritised the ending of violence against children, recognising this as critical for the fulfillment of all child rights.

Purpose of the Assignment

Under the overall guidance of the Regional Advisor of Gender and the Regional Advisor of Child Protection, the consultant will prepare a 15–20-page paper in order to bring conceptual clarity regarding GBV and sexual violence.

The document will discuss the terms gender-based violence and sexual violence from the international law standpoint, and a human development perspective. The paper should also include a comprehensive understanding of gender, distinct from a binary perspective. It will be written for use by people who are designing and communicating on programmes to end GBV (including in
emergencies) and violence against girls, boys, women and men in all their diversity, and therefore will include some discussion of what to consider when designing programmes to protect children from sexual violence distinct from other age groups, and how to identify and assess gender-based violence risks.

The consultant should work first on a methodology including a proposed index for the paper; then a draft paper that will be revised and later finalize taken into account the feedback provided. Finally, a PowerPoint (PPT) presentation to summarize the paper should be prepared for a webinar on the issue and further use by UNICEF.

The compendium is for a wide sharing with technical and nontechnical audiences and should be written in a style accessible by this audience.

If necessary, a reference group will be defined by UNICEF to support the review of the reports and progress in this consultancy.

Specific Tasks

The assignment will include:

1. A methodology that includes the index proposal for the paper.
2. A draft paper, an initial draft with the whole content of maximum 15 pages (including cover and index) plus annexes. This report will be reviewed by UNICEF LACRO and if necessary, a reference group, established by UNICEF, made up of UNICEF staff from COs and RO.
3. Once the document has been reviewed and comments incorporated, a final report, will be produced. This will be used by UNICEF staff at the RO and all COs. The audience will include a technical child protection and gender audience.
4. The consultancy will include a webinar to share the paper through a PPT. This will be open to UNICEF staff members only. During this the findings will be shared. This space will be coordinated in its design and implementation with the regional UNICEF office.

Expected Results

• A final conceptual clarity paper of not more of 20 pages plus annexes, in English or Spanish, in the stronger language of the consultant.
• A PPT in English and Spanish and one online webinar to share the paper

Deliverables

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Minimum Requirements and Qualifications

Education

• Advanced university degree in law, social sciences or directly related technical experience in combination with an academic background/ research experience in children protection rights is required.
• Studies in gender equality will be an asset

Work Experience

• A minimum of eight years working in the social sectors of international development cooperation or research with work in gender and/or child protection rights
• Proven experience in writing about violence against children, and ideally producing conceptual clarity pieces
• Practical work experience in Latin America and the Caribbean desired

Languages

• Fluency in either Spanish or English, with high proficiency in the other language is required.

Technical knowledge

• Knowledge of violence against children, sexual violence and gender-based violence
• Knowledge of programming to address violence against children including gender-based violence

Other skills and attributes

• Demonstrated excellent skills in verbal and specially on written communication with examples of reports, guidelines or similar products previously elaborated
• Demonstrated ability to work virtually and establish virtual working relationships
• Able to work effectively in a multicultural environment
• Ability to clearly define objectives and plan activities
• Fluency with ICT tools such as email, Teams, Zoom.

Administrative details

Supervision

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Gender and Child Protection Regional Advisors. Note that the paper will be translated by UNICEF into either Spanish or English, which the consultant would be asked to review for accuracy.

Workplace

The consultant will work home-based, using their own personal premises, materials, and equipment’s. The consultant will be required to have access to Skype/Zoom to facilitate the communication required during this assignment. UNICEF LACRO will provide relevant UNICEF documents for the consultant however the consultant is expected to also have access to their own research sources.

How to Apply

Candidates should complete the online application, including Resume, Cover Letter and Financial proposal. Qualified candidates are requested to submit daily, monthly and total fees in their financial proposal.

Travel

Travel missions are not foreseen for this consultancy. If the situation permits, the consultant may be required to travel to some countries in the region for this assignment.

Should travel is applicable, it will be covered by UNICEF as per policy.

1. Travel costs will be estimated and added to the contract once they are determined based on UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations.
2. For agreed country visits, the contractor/consultant will be responsible in administering their own travel. UNICEF will reimburse travel related expenses based on actual costs or on the below criteria whichever is lower and upon presentation of receipts.
3. Any travel involved should be budgeted according to UN Travel Standards as a ceiling.
4. UN Secretariat Administrative Instruction on Official Travel, ST/AI/2013/3: Sect. 4, para. 4.2, numerals (d) and (e)
   5. For information on Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA), can be found on the International Civil Service Commission website (all countries and destinations can be found by navigating on the map).

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

*****  

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check. 

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.