Organization Mission

UNICEF works to protect the rights of children and adolescents in Turkiye since 1951. UNICEF”s programme in Turkiye focuses on the needs of the most vulnerable children in the areas of education, child protection, health care, social policy, adolescents and youth, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Context

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day.

Every year, the UNITE Campaign focuses on a specific theme. The campaign calls on citizens to show how much they care about ending violence against women and girls by sharing the actions they are taking to create a world free from violence towards women.

UNICEF cooperation with UNV has established a Special Programme Initiative , aiming at engaging UN Volunteers to support UNICEF and in particular the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign in Türkiye.

The selected national UN Community Volunteer will assist UNICEF team in Türkiye in:
• Workshops & Trainings: Support UNICEF with organizations of events and workshops to raise awareness on gender-based violence, targeting youth and community leaders, persons with disabilities, empowering them to become agents of change against gender-based violence.
• Awareness, Advocacy, and Outreach: Supporting UNICEF to organize local events, online campaigns, and use social media to amplify messages about ending violence against women. In addition, selected national UN Community Volunteer will engage in creative activism through art and community outreach, raising awareness and promoting stories.

Key Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision UNICEF Child Protection Officer, the national UN Community Volunteer will:
• Undergo training on processes and activities undertaken by UNICEF under the 16 Days of Activism against GBV campaign.
• Assist UNICEF in planning and organizing workshops that target youth, persons with disabilities, men, and community leaders to educate them on recognizing and preventing gender-based violence.
• Assist UNICEF to deliver empowerment sessions, raising awareness about their rights and the services available to them.
• Coordinate with trainers and facilitators to ensure smooth execution of workshops, including preparation of materials, logistical arrangements, and participant outreach.
• Assist UNICEF to identify community leaders, youth groups, OPDs, and local organizations to participate in GBV prevention workshops.
• Engage with community to promote awareness of gender-based violence issues and encourage community involvement in trainings.
• Contribute to the 16 Days of Activism campaign with HQ and support VSS collaboration with young women and girls, including persons with disabilities, to co-create participatory video stories.
• Review social media posts in coordination with other UN agencies.
• Support video message production (TBC).
• Support UN joint activities/events during the VAWG days (TBC).
• Compile national data on GBV (with PME) and produce visuals/factsheets for wider use.
• Collaborate with Youth for Gender (and ADAP) on activism-related planning.
• Work with Child Protrection (CP), and Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) on integrating GBV messages into wider community information packages.
• Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:
– Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day, 5th of December).
– Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country.
– Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities (for instance at https://vra.unv.org),
– Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.
– Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Required Skills and Experience

• At least Secondary education or equivalent. A Bachelor”s degree is an asset.
• Voluntary service, community engagement, or work experience can be considered in lieu of any formal education.
• Skills in community development.
• Basic usage of computer and office applications.
• Good communication skills.

Core Competencies

• Accountability
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Creativity
• Judgement and decision-making
• Planning and organising
• Professionalism
• Self-management

Living Conditions

UN Community Volunteers are expected to be recruited locally and work within their communities. For this specific assignment, if the selected UN Community Volunteer is required to travel or attend specific events, travel and daily meal expenses will be covered by the host entity. Upon successful completion of the assignment, UN Community Volunteers will receive a UNV Certificate of Service.

This is a volunteer assignment, not employment. By sharing your time, energy, and talents, you can support communities in need and become part of something greater than yourself — a global movement for peace, development, and humanitarian aid. Volunteering strengthens trust, solidarity, and reciprocity among citizens, and it can promote a sense of belonging and purpose.

The UN Volunteer will be based in Ankara and will be working from the office at least three days a week to connect and collaborate with staff members. The UN Volunteers are responsible for arranging her/his own housing and other living essentials within UNV contract period.

Summary of this national UN Volunteer Entitlements:
• Private insurance: Health, dental, life and dismemberment (coverage by CIGNA)
• Certificate of Service
• Experience with UN programme
• There will be no payment, stipend, or any allowances.

UN Volunteer supporting SPI in Europe and Central Asia region:

The support provided by the UN Volunteer for tasks supporting the host UN entity in the region of Europe and Central Asia is a Special Programme Initiative (SPI) by UNV. SPIs respond to volunteer-specific needs of the United Nations system and donor entities. They are established by specific policy documents that address the desired programmatic aims and broader SDGs’ outcomes in line with UNV guiding principles. UN Volunteers for this SPI in the Europe and Central Asia region are governed by the particular conditions set out in their offers and contracts.