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In Guinea-Bissau, the situation of girls affected by female genital mutilation (FGM) has almost stagnated in the last 10 years, with recent MICS data (2018/19) showing an increase of FGM from 45% to 52% for girls and women 15-49 years old. Also, the proportion of women aged 15 to 49 that have an excised daughter decreased almost 10 per cent (from 39 per cent in 2010 to 30 per cent in 2014 and 2018). Despite this situation, only 13 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 support the practice (2018/19), against 34 per cent in 2010. As described in previous reports, FGM is performed across all regions, with Gabú and Bafatá (east of the country) having the highest regional rates, 96 and 87 per cent respectively, and Biombo and Cacheu the lowest with 8 and 12 per cent, respectively (MICS 2018/19).  The national study conducted in 2018 (https://www.unicef.org/guineabissau/reports/sociodemographic-profiles-mics), FGM is generally performed at an early age, although young girls between the ages of 10 and 14 persist as the main group affected by the practice (43 per cent). This shows that FGM is still associated to the transitional period of puberty, and linked to child marriage, meaning that the cultural ceremony to womanhood is still relevant for the communities performing FGM. Currently, an estimated 17 per cent of all girls under five undergo the practice.

During the phase IV, the Joint UNFPA-UNICEF programme to eliminate FGM through the “Comité Nacional para o Abandono das Práticas Nefastas – CNAPN” has been implementing a series of strategies and interventions for the prevention and response to FGM and Child Marriage such as community dialogues and various girls’ empowerment initiatives.

In 2024, the FGM Joint Programme intends to strengthen its interventions around girls’ empowerment as one the main strategies to attain the goal of eliminating FGM and other forms gender-based violence by 2030, with the creation of girls’ clubs for peer-to-peer counselling.

For these reasons, the UNICEF Guinea-Bissau Country Office wishes to recruit a National Consultant to develop an empowerment training package/kit including facilitation guides and training modules for girls at community level to prevent Child Marriage and Female Genital mutilation. These tools will be used by all the organizations and institutions working at community level with and for adolescent’s empowerment and participation to end harmful social norms, especially FGM and Child marriage.

How can you make a difference?

The consultant will be assigned the following tasks:

• Undertake a desk review of existing tools and literature for “girls’ empowerment” initiatives developed by UNICEF and in Guinea-Bissau as well, to contextualize the facilitation guide and training modules.
• Undertake a consultative process including preliminary interviews with key informants, stakeholders, and decisions-makers (girls at risk, mothers, fathers, traditional and religious leaders, community volunteers, social workers, NGOs, grassroot organizations, CNAPN etc…)  in the regions with high prevalence (Bafata (87%), Gabu (96%) and Quinara (59%)) to understand the current prevailing social norms including enablers of FGM and Child Marriage, preferred and safe channels for the girls, and the community gender and power dynamics, to allow the identification of possible entry points.

• Draft and inception report based on findings, feedback and proposed solutions from the community and situation analysis with possible entry points.
• Develop concept note and related TORs for the creation of a girls’ club in targeted regions.
• Develop first draft of tools in packages, test with sentinel communities, and adjust accordingly.  The package will comprise:

1. A concept note on girls’ clubs
2. ToRs of the girls’ clubs including budget for functionality 
3. A guide for group dynamics
4. A Prevention Guidebook (knowing your rights, your body, and how to take care of yourself and prevent all forms of gender-based abuse)
5. A notebook/agenda for girls with dividers including key messages on FGM and CM
6. Compendium of recreational and educational activities for edutainment on FGM and Child Marriage 
7. Facilitation guide for young animators for dialogue sessions with men including fathers, husbands, traditional and religious leaders.
8. Facilitation guide for young animators for dialogue sessions with women, including mothers, aunts, grandmothers, and excisers. 

• Collaborate with graphic design company for layout of the tools of girls’ empowerment including design of a notebook with tab dividers including FGM-related key messages to be distributed to girls in schools.
• Lead training/familiarization sessions with the package for young community volunteers
• Prepare and submit a monthly technical report.
• Compile final report at the end of the contract highlighting findings and recommendations.

Work Assignements Overview 1
Desk review of existing tools and literature
Deliverables/Outputs 1
Desk review to inform inception report and contextualize the facilitation guide and training modules. 3 Days.

Work Assignments Overview 2
Consultative process including preliminary interviews with key informants.
Deliverables/Outputs 2
Report of consultation with key informants to inform inception report and contextualize the facilitation guide and training modules available. 10 Days.

Work Assignments Overview 3
Draft inception report and workplan with timeline based on requirements.
Deliverables/Outputs 3
Inception report and workplan developed based on findings desk review and consultation with key informants. 6 Days

Work Assignments Overview 4
Develop tools in package.
Deliverables/Outputs 4. 43 Days
• A concept note on girls’ clubs
• ToRs of the girls’ clubs including budget for functionality
• A guide for group dynamics
• A Prevention Guidebook (knowing your rights, your body, and how to take care of yourself and prevent all forms of gender-based abuse)

Payment will be done upon submission and validation of deliverables as per the below workplan :
• Deliverables 1-3: 20% (From December 1st to 25th 2024)
• Deliverable 4: 50 % (From December 26th to February 26th 2025)
• Deliverables 7-8: 30 % (February 27th to April 1st 2025)

General Conditions:

The contract will be for a four-month period.  This assignment includes field visits in all regions of the country. The consultant will be based at the UNICEF Country Office. The consultant is expected the use their own electronic devices to perform the assignment. However, they will be authorized to use facilities such as the Office copy machine and scanner during the contract period.

A task force consisting of UNICEF, UNFPA, the National Committee for the Abandonment of Harmful Practices – CNAPN, and other relevant civil society organizations, will be established and responsible for the validation of all deliverables resulting from this consultancy.

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

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.