Women Protection Specialist, P3, Kyiv, Ukraine (Temporary Appointment)

Background:

This temporary position is imbedded in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU). It is administered by UNFPA Ukraine Country Office, in Kyiv. The incumbent will perform his/her duties under the direct supervision of the Head of the Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) Unit of the HRMMU, with a reporting line to the Deputy Representative/Senior Emergency Coordinator of UNFPA, and in close collaboration with other UNFPA staff involved in the GBV and SRH response programmes, in the GBV SC coordination, and other UN entities and actors including OSRSG-SVC in the implementation of the Framework of Cooperation on CRSV. To ensure coherence and coordination in the overall implementation of the CRSV mandate, the incumbent will work 80% of the time from the OHCHR office and 20% from the UNFPA office, and as a part of the core team of Women Protection Advisers/Specialists deployed in the Office of the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (RCO), UN Women and OHCHR in Ukraine.

In resolution 2467 (2019), the Security Council requested inter alia the timely deployment of women’s protection advisers (WPA/Ss) to Offices of UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinators in all relevant situations of concern, in addition to their deployment to relevant UN peace operations and special political missions. Security Council resolution 2467 is one in a series of resolutions adopted since 2008, which recognized CRSV as a threat to security and an impediment to the restoration of peace. WPA/Ss advise UN senior leadership on the implementation of the operational provisions of these resolutions by ensuring the establishment and functioning of the Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Arrangements on CRSV, and by engaging with parties to the conflict to support their compliance with international norms through the adoption of time-bound commitments to prevent and address these crimes.

In Ukraine, the OSRSG-SVC is supporting the RCO/UN country team and national authorities to strengthen the collective capacity to prevent, document and respond to CRSV, in a coordinated fashion and in line with the Framework of Cooperation (FoC) signed between the SRSG and the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration in 2022, and with its subsequent Implementation Plan (IP). In this context, following the deployment of a WPS to OHCHR to head the CRSV Unit and oversee OHCHR’s monitoring, data collection, analysis and reporting on CRSV, a team comprising of a Senior WPA (P5) in the RCO, plus dedicated WPSs in other key agencies involved in the implementation of the FoC/IP, namely UNFPA and UN Women, is being established to advise UN senior leadership, and support coordination efforts and the implementation of the operational provisions of Security Council resolutions 2467, 2331, 2106, 1960, 1888 and 1820. The team will also work closely with and support as appropriate the national structures established to implement the aforementioned Framework of Cooperation.

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 new strategic plan (2022-2025), focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices.

UNFPA Ukraine is actively involved in the humanitarian refugee response to the Ukrainian crises, supporting provision of women and girls’ health services, including reproductive maternal health and psychosocial support and Gender-Based Violence support and referral assistance to refugees from the eastern to the central and the western parts of Ukraine.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need principled and ethical staff, who embody human rights norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction; 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.

You would be responsible for:

Under the direct supervision of the HRMMU Head, CRSV Unit, with an additional reporting line to the UNFPA Deputy Representative/Senior Emergency Coordinator, and working in close cooperation with the Senior Women Protection Advisor (RCO), the Women Protection Specialist will be responsible for performing the following duties:

• Supporting the Head, CRSV Unit in monitoring, data collection, analysis, and reporting on CRSV, ensuring strict confidentiality of information,
• Supporting the Head, CRSV Unit in verification work related to CRSV data,
• Supporting the provision of technical expertise in key areas outlined in the Framework of Cooperation, which can include inter alia, capacity-building of relevant justice, social and health sector actors, the development of action plans, and supporting the integration of the prevention and response to CRSV in any resilience and early recovery plans,
• Supporting the production of timely and reliable information on incidents, patterns and trends of sexual violence in conflict-affected areas,
• Supporting the coordination of the activities of working groups on CRSV at the country-level, and where relevant, at the regional-level,
• Coordinating and collaborating with the UNFPA GBV, Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), GBV sub cluster (SC) and other working groups to ensure integration of CRSV-related action in cluster plans and to advocate for joint awareness-raising of CRSV for non-GBV specialists,
• Working with WPSs in UN Women and OHCHR as well as other relevant staff in UN agencies to ensure that they can refer survivors to essential services,
• Supporting the implementation of the Framework of Cooperation on the prevention and response to CRSV, including through technical, strategic and capacity building support to UNFPA staff, the GBV SC, and partners in fulfilling their role in delivering survivors-centered services,
• Liaising with relevant local and national authorities, civil society, UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes with complementary mandates, and other relevant partners to monitor developments on CRSV and outline strategies for its prevention and response,
• Working in close coordination with UN entities and other actors supporting the relevant national authorities to integrate CRSV considerations –particularly those concerning access to survivor-centred services- into the National Action Plan on Security Council resolution 1325,
• Ensuring effective coordination and information sharing on Grave Violations against children (mandated by UNSC Resolution 1612) to address synergies in mandates regarding GBV and other forms of sexual violence against children and adolescents,
• Supporting the coordination efforts for the elaboration of situational assessments and roll-out of early warning indicators of CRSV,
• Supporting the implementation of United Nations reporting obligations on CRSV, in close coordination with UN agencies, including, key humanitarian actors, institutional and civil society stakeholders in Ukraine,
• Promoting regular and appropriate information exchange and greater coherence and coordination of United Nations entities, in support of the national authorities, in delivering a survivor-centered approach to preventing and addressing CRSV,
• Providing the necessary support to OHCHR and UNFPA in coordination with relevant UNCT entities to strengthen coordination with civil society organizations, in particular women-led organizations, the donor community, and regional organizations on issues related to the prevention and response to GBV, including CRSV; and
• Performing other relevant duties, as required.

Qualifications and Experience:

Education:

An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law, political science, international relations, social sciences, or in a related area. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Knowledge and Experience:

• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in political science, international relations, law, disarmament, security, development management, conflict resolution, or related area is required.
• A minimum of two (2) years of experience working in a conflict or post-conflict setting, is required.
• Experience in monitoring, fact-finding, analysis, and reporting, is required.
• Direct experience managing GBV programmes or providing support to GBV survivors is desirable.
• Experience in implementing the Women, Peace and Security agenda, including concerns related to CRSV, is desirable.
• Experience in developing outreach strategies and initiatives is desirable.
• Field experience with international peacekeeping or political missions, agencies, funds and programmes, or other international organisations is desirable

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required, fluency in Ukrainian is desirable.