Individual Consultant: GBV Analyst – Based in Machinga,Malawi

The Position:

The Individual Consultant GBV Analyst UNFPA Malawi will be based in Machinga. He/She will work under the direct supervision of the Gender Specialist and overall supervision of the Deputy Representative. The Individual Consultant will work closely with both the Gender, Youth and the SRH Teams of UNFPA Country Office in Malawi.

How You Can Make a Difference

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose

UNFPA Malawi Country Office is committed to deliver results outlined in the 9 th Country Programme that starts from 2023 and lasts till 2028, with clear outcomes in the areas of: a) sexual and reproductive health/rights, b) adolescents and youth, c) gender equality and women’s empowerment, and d) population dynamics. UNFPA Malawi is also a part of the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) and operates under United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023-2027, fully embracing the UN development system reforms and stepping up its system wide support for the Government of Malawi.

Towards end of 2021, UNFPA with support from Ireland Embassy embarked on a project titled: Technology and empowerment enhancing networks in safe spaces. All women and girls, particularly the most vulnerable, live free from harmful practices and are able to make choices about their sexual and reproductive health and rights implementing in Balaka and Lilongwe. The overall objective is to ensure that Teen and adolescent girls (15-24) are empowered to target harmful practices and make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.

Additionally, UNFPA is one of the UN agencies implementing Conflict prevention and Peace Building activities both under the Secretary General Peace Building fund. The projects seek to strengthen and build the capacity of national and subnational infrastructures for peace and conflict prevention, with a special focus on borderland communities. The project is implemented in Mangochi, Machinga and Karonga.

In line with the approved proposal, the TEENs project. the main focus will be to continue with the digitalization components so that the Mentors and Mentees are well conversant with the use of digital technology to enhance their empowerment. This will be coupled with continuous research on the girls to assess the improvements and gains made through the use of technology in their safe space mentorship activities. For the Peace building UNFPA is providing technical and operational support to Local CSOs resident in the districts through FOCESE to implement GBV and SRHR related areas and youth empowerment for the project’s implementation specifically in service provision for women survivors of conflict, response to and prevention of gender-based violence, and access to wide range of networks of women, youth and adolescent girls. It is also focusing on strengthening capacity of district and communities to mitigate and respond to conflict and ensure that women and young people in the border districts are better equipped to identify and resolve conflict and other disputes using formal and informal mechanisms without recourse to conflict and improve service delivery and community empowerment by also utilizing the model for safe spaces.

Consequently, the acceleration of project implementation is needed. For this, UNFPA needs to strengthen its own capacity to effectively promote and deliver the intended results of the TEENS and the PBF programme in Balaka and Machinga respectively . It is against this backdrop, that an extra expertise, in the form of a consultancy, supplementing the existing Country Office capacity is required to reside in Machinga and oversee the Balaka activities. This person shall also serve as the district UNFPA focal point

You Would Be Responsible For

Under the direct supervision by the Gender Specialist and overall supervision by the Deputy Representative, , the consultant will work closely with both the Gender , Youth and the SRH Teams of UNFPA Country Office in Malawi. More specifically, the consultants will fulfil the following responsibilities:

• Support the Ministry of Gender at the Machinga and Balaka District offices and the Implementing partners in executing the programmes by coordinating the project implementation.
• Support widening Information, prevention and outreach activities through strengthening mentorship sessions for young women and adolescent girls on sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender based violence in safe spaces, support campaign to promote awareness of sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender based violence; engagement of religious and community leaders and men and boys in gender based violence prevention and the promotion of sexual and reproductive health and rights linked to safe spaces as well as supporting Intergenerational dialogues with adolescent women and girls, families and communities through the training of community leaders
• In collaboration with the Gender team members, support Technological innovation, learning and scaling up of TEEN and PBF activities. This will include continuous monitoring of digitalization techniques and use of the digital tools for information gathering and dissemination in the safe spaces for mentors and mentees in Balaka including basic digital and online skills on how to use a tablet, MS Office packages, internet and email; Comprehensive sexuality education digital application tool for use on tablets in safe spaces (maintenance and upgrade);
• Document learnings from data collected from Digital reporting system for evidence based programming
• Facilitate and Monitor the activities related Psychosocial support, counselling and referral activities,
• updating referral pathways for survivors of gender based violence including counsellors and information points.
• Spearhead entrepreneurship, vocational and livelihood trainings with community driven business solutions.
• Strengthen capacity of communities to mitigate and respond to conflict and ensure that women and young people in the border districts are better equipped to identify and resolve conflict and other disputes using formal and informal mechanisms without recourse to conflict and improve service delivery and community empowerment by also utilising the model for safe spaces.
• Support the focal points in the Country Office, District departments of the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Gender, and Ministry of Youth, implementing partners and sister UN agencies (UNDP, and UNWOMEN) to ensure improved coordination and synergies for implementation, monitoring and reporting on UNFPA GBV and SRH related components of the Peace building activities at the district
• Provide progress of the implementation of the activities per agreed timeline.

Perform any other duties assigned by RR and DR in the areas of GBV, TEENs, Peace Building and Adolescent girls and Young women.

Note Important information

• The consultancy is for the period of 6 months starting from 1 st June 2024 – 31 st December 2024
• Services will be offered at Machinga Office with intense visits to Balaka district offices for both Ministry of Gender, FOCESE and Youth
• By the end of each month, a monthly report summarising the activities carried out in the month will be submitted
• The consultant may be required to travel within Malawi as required by the country office to perform functions related to the deliverables. Travel and DSA will be provided

Qualifications And Experience

Education Required

• A master’s degree in gender studies, public health, development studies, international relations, or social science fields with a minimum of 2 years of work experience, or
• A university degree in a relevant discipline including gender studies, public health, development studies, international relations, or social science fields is required, with 5 years of work experience
• A thorough understanding of the UN system in general, and especially UNFPA mandate, policies and operations is required.
• Knowledge of Safe Space mentorship activities is added advantage
• Excellent analytical, planning, and negotiation skills.
• Excellent communication skills – both in terms of writing and oral.

Knowledge And Experience

• At least 2 years of experience in the fields of programme management, development cooperation, gender issues or public health is required.
• Prior experience in developing countries is required.
• Prior experience of work in Malawi in the relevant fields of UNFPA mandate, including sexual & reproductive health and rights, youth and gender is desirable.
• Prior experience in GBV and/or PSEA is an asset.
• Prior experience in humanitarian action is an asset.
• Prior experience in inter-agency coordination is an asset.

Languages

English Language is required

Values

Required Competencies:

Exemplifying integrity,

Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,

Embracing cultural diversity,

Embracing change

Core Competencies

Achieving results,

Being accountable,

Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,

Thinking analytically and strategically,

Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,

Compensation And Benefits

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

UNFPA Work Environment

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA’s workforce – click here to learn more.

Disclaimer

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements.

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.