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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, gender efficiency!

How can you make a difference? 

Context:

In Liberia, despite progress made over the past years, children, especially adolescent girls, still face challenges in terms of survival, development, protection, and participation.  Violence against women and girls (VAWG) still exist in multiple forms. Apart from sexual violence (SV), VAWG in Liberia includes domestic/intimate partner violence, persistent non-support/economic violence, emotional violence, and harmful practices, including FGM and child marriage that disproportionately affects women, girls and people living with disabilities (PLWD) as well as other vulnerable groups.

According to UNFPA, 25 percent of children are married before the age of 18. The LDHS also demonstrates a high prevalence of femalegenital mutilation, with 38 percent of women and girls aged 15-49 having undergone the procedure. This practice significantly affects women and girls from the poorest households who are twice as likely to have experienced the practice as compared to those from the wealthiest households. Other harmful practices include allegations of witchcraft, and forcible initiations into secret societies and trial by ordeal.  According to the assessment of Human Rights Issues Emanating from Harmful Traditional Practices in Liberia, despite domestic legal frameworks prohibiting some of these practices, these and other harmful practices are largely left unaddressed by the formal justice system because they are widely believed to be part of the national culture and traditions. A more recent study on the Liberia Country Gender equality profile conducted by UNWOMEN provides insight into how the state of gender equality in Liberia remains fragile, and is a topic that requires attention, commitment, and collective endeavor.

As one of the key actors in promoting gender equality for children and adolescents in Liberia, UNICEF Liberia Country Office (UNICEF LCO) has made achievements in promoting gender equality across its programmes and workplaces. According to the Gender Benchmark Review, in 2023 UNICEF LCO met and exceeded the gender expenditure benchmark of 15 per cent.  Three Programme Outputs were rated Principal on the Gender Equality Marker (GEM) which indicates that these results are transformative as they had influence change in national policies and practice. Additionally, an improved gender parity was achieved among National Professional Officers and International Professionals with 43 percent female and 57 percent male. However, according to the regional analysis of the gender marker, UNICEF LCO has gaps in resources, accountability, staffing and capacity. Improvements are needed in terms of gender performance on country plans, gender staffing and capacity, evaluation, as well as effective knowledge sharing and communications. 

II. Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

Reporting requirements:

Lists of the reporting guidelines and the reports to be prepared during the assignment as well as deadlines for submission; it includes requirements such as contents, number of copies, language, who should receive the reports and whether they should be submitted electronically (specify the file format; e.g. "pdf"), in hard copy, or both.

Examples of potential types of reports are:

• Inception Report
• Progress Reports and Minutes of Meetings
• Mission Reports
• Technical Reports
• Draft, Final Report, and Roadmap for implementation
• Training Materials
• Presentation Materials
• Workshop/training evaluation report

Location & Duration:

The duration of this consultation should be 40 working days between 15^th September to 15^th November. The consultant will work both remotely and on site at UNICEF Liberia’ office in close collaboration with the Dep. Rep for Programs / the PM&E Specialist and the Gender Focal Point. He/she will be required to spend at least 20 days in Monrovia.

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

Education: 

• Minimum of a Bachelor degree in Gender or related humanities. Advanced in Sociology, Anthropology, Planning, etc, is an advantage.

Work Experience:

• At least 6 years of strong technical skills in gender, research and gender-based programming, with good knowledge of social change and social norms.
• Expertise in designing and developing training materials and facilitating training and capacity building on gender transformative programming.
• Proven experience in developing tools and guidelines for gender analysis and technical competence in mainstreaming gender equality in programmes.
• Proficiency in the use of gender data collection tools for programme design, implementation and evaluation.
• Good analytical skills in the design of gender programmes and assessments at national level.
• Previous experience in gender programme review and planning for UNICEF or a UN agency.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Other skills and competencies required:

• Fluency required in: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills including the use of ICT.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Language Proficiency:   Fluency required in English.

UNICEF reserves the right to terminate the contract and/or withhold all or a portion of payment if the rules and the regulations regarding confidentiality, ethics and procedures of UNICEF and the partners are not followed, the performance is unsatisfactory, or work/deliverables are incomplete, not delivered or fail to meet the deadlines. The deliverables will remain the copyright of UNICEF.

The consultant must respect the confidentiality of the information handled during the assignment. Documents and information provided must be used only for the tasks related to these terms of reference.

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.