Programme Specialist- Harmful Practices and Social Norms Change

at  unfpa

THE POSITION:

The Programme Specialist position is based in the UNFPA East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) in Johannesburg, and reports to the Regional Gender and Human Rights Advisor, who provides overall direction and guidance. S/He provides country offices with daily support on programme and operational issues, research, and data collection, and assists in managing the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation.

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.

(B) KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH:

• Support Regional and Country Offices in the identification and documentation of lessons learned/best practices regarding FGM, CM, and other areas including GBV and gender equality, including what works in terms of high-impact interventions and practices in the elimination of FGM and CM.
• Share evidence, knowledge, and information with country offices to assist in the development of programme interventions towards ending FGM, CM, GBV, and improving gender equality.
• Analyse current and emerging trends in the area of harmful practices in general and FGM and CM in particular.
• Strengthen the institutional knowledge base for the joint programme by managing a repository of knowledge, evidence, and data for efforts towards ending FGM and harmful practices

EDUCATION:

Advanced University degree in Gender, Sociology, Human Rights Law Social Sciences, or other related fields,

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum 5 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in the substantive technical area ending FGM, ending child marriage, gender, GBV, EVAWG more broadly, of which at least two years at the international level and/or regional level.
• Experience in regional programme and financial management including planning, implementation, and monitoring.
• Substantive knowledge and practical experience in programming on crosscutting issues, population, sexual and reproductive health, and gender programming.
• Experience working in East and Southern Africa regions on FGM, ECM, GBV, and gender equality.
• Programme management and coordination experience is an asset.
• Experience working with continental bodies such as the African Union (AU), RECs in particular EAC, IGAD, SADC, and others is an asset
• Field experience is desirable.

Please refer the Job description for details