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 is a must!! 

How can you make a difference?

Recognizing that gender discrimination has lifelong and intergenerational impacts on the wellbeing of children including adolescent girls and boys, but more especially girls who are both disproportionately affected by gender inequality,  UNICEF reaffirming its mandate to uphold the rights of all children, has instituted its GAP 2022-2025 as a dual-track approach which goes beyond responding to the manifestations of gender inequality to tackle its underlying drivers, including by engaging boys and men as allies; advancing upstream financing and policy solutions; and supporting girls’ agency and voice.

UNICEF Gender Action Plan (GAP), 2022–2025, operationalizes its global Gender Policy, 2021–2030, by specifying how UNICEF will promote gender equality across its programmes and workplaces. It affirms that promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is the responsibility of everyone, regardless of organizational role.

Additionally, the GAP builds on an increasing knowledge base on gender equality, including current evidence regarding the gendered effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It responds to lessons learned from the implementation of previous GAPs and an extensive global consultative process with staff, partners and young people. It is grounded in the human rights principles of non-discrimination and equality and articulates the role of UNICEF, as a collaborator with Governments and other partners, in supporting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Context:

In Liberia, despite progress made over the past years, girl children and adolescents still face challenges in terms of survival, development, protection, and participation. For example, 31.8% of girls and women (aged 15-49 years) have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM), 24.9% of women (aged 20-24 years) got married or in union before age 18, 34.4% of women (aged 20-24 years) gave birth before age 18, the maternal mortality ratio was 661 maternal deaths per 10,000 live births in 2017.

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 2015, UNICEF LCO met and exceled the gender expenditure benchmark of 15 per cent, 5 out of the 31 Programme Outputs were rated GEM Principal and 22 were rated GEM Significant, results were achieved on all four Targeted Gender Priorities, and a strong gender balance was achieved among National Professional Officers and International Professionals. However, according to the regional analysis on gender marker, UNICEF LCO has gaps on resources (0.0), accountability (0.3), staffing (0.5) and capacity (0.0).  Improvements are needed in terms of gender performance on country plans, gender staffing & capacity, evaluation, as well as effective knowledge sharing and communications.

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

Education:

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

Work Experience:

• Experience in working with the UN with five (5) years of tracked experience in working on gender and intersectionality; including working with International Non- Governmental Organizations in both humanitarian and developmental contexts supporting gender integration across programs and systems.
• Experience in training and facilitating learning/workshops especially in gender within the UN / INGO context.

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.

VI. Working Conditions:

•  Office Based
• The necessary computer equipment for the consultation will be provided by the consultant.
• The consultant is expected to use his/her own ICT equipment.
• The consultant will be based in Monrovia.

• The consultant will be supervised by the Deputy Representative/Programmes.

VIII. Technical and Financial Proposals:

Applicants are invited to submit with their online application:

• A technical proposal that outlines their understanding of the task and proposed methodology or a cover letter explaining why they are well placed to undertake this assignment.
• A recently updated CV.
• A financial proposal which must be an all-inclusive cost (consultancy fees, mission expenses, travels, etc.).

Applicants are invited to submit their financial proposals in USD using the template below:

Selection criteria will be based on qualifications, skills, expertise and experience in the required field, and quality of the technical and financial offer. Each application will be assessed first on its technical merits and subsequently on its price.

Recourse:

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.