UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child. UNICEF has spent 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. Defending children's rights throughout their lives requires a global presence, aiming to produce results and understand their effects. UNICEF believes all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfil their potential – to the benefit of a better world.
Under the supervision of the Gender & Development Specialist and the Chief of Social Policy, the incumbent will be responsible for providing technical support to ensure the mainstreaming of the gender dimension in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all stages of social policy programing and related advocacy, from strategic planning and formulation to delivery of concrete and sustainable gender results. This includes programmes aimed at improving (a) gender-responsive public policies to reduce child poverty; (b) gender transformative social protection coverage and impact on children; (c) the transparency, adequacy, equity, and efficiency of gender and child-focused public investments and financial management; and (d) governance, decentralization, and accountability measures to increase public participation, with a focus on women and women-led organizations, and the quality, equity, and coverage of social services. This encompasses both direct programmes work with government and civil society partners as well as linkages and support to teams working on education, health, child protection, water and sanitation, and HIV. Summary of Key functions/Accountabilities:
Improving gender data on child poverty & vulnerability for increased use for policy and programme action
Supports the collection, analysis, and user-friendly presentation of gender data on multidimensional and monetary child poverty, including strengthening national capacity to collect routinely, report, and use gender data for policy decision-making.
Provides timely, regular gender data-driven analysis for effective prioritization, planning, and development.
Facilitates results-based management by ensuring the mainstreaming of gender results for planning, adjusting, and scaling-up specific social policy initiatives to reduce child poverty.
Analyzes the macroeconomic context, considering the economic contribution of unpaid women’s and girls’ work and evaluates its impact on gender equality and social development, emerging issues, and social policy concerns and implications for children and women.
Proposes and promotes appropriate responses in respect of such issues and concerns, including government resource allocation policies and the effects of social welfare policies on the rights of children and women.
Strengthening social protection coverage and impact for children from a gender perspective
Supports the mainstreaming of a gender-transformative approach in developing social protection policies, legislation, and programmes with attention to increasing coverage of and impact on children (boys and girls) and with special attention to the most marginalized. Identifies, generates, and presents gender evidence to support this goal in collaboration with partners.
Ensure the integration of gender in all stages of planning, implementation, and monitoring of multi-sectoral programs, specifically the “Income Generating Activities” and “Public Work” programme within the country programme;
Promotes strengthening of integrated social protection systems, providing technical support to partners to improve gender equality and women empowerment in the design of cash transfers and child grants and improve linkages with other social protection interventions such as health insurance, public works, GBV, and PSEA, social and care services as well as complementary services and intervention related to nutrition, health, education, water and sanitation, child protection and HIV.
Undertakes improved monitoring and research around social protection impact on gender equality and use of data and research findings for strengthening programme results.
Improving the use of public financial resources for children, gender equality, and women's and girls’ empowerment
Undertakes a gender budget analysis to inform UNICEF’s advocacy and technical assistance to Ministries of Finance, planning commissions, and social sector ministries to improve gender-sensitive budget allocation for essential services for children.
Works with sector colleagues to build capacity to undertake gender cost and cost-effectiveness analysis on priority interventions to help inform policy decisions on child-focused investments.
Undertakes and builds the capacity of partners on gender mainstreaming, including gender-responsive budgeting, for improved monitoring and tracking of public expenditure to support transparency, accountability, and effective financial flows for essential service delivery, including through support to district-level planning, budgeting, and public financial management as well as facilitating community participation.
Strengthening the capacity of local governments to plan, budget, consult on, and monitor gender and child-focused social services.
Where national decentralization processes are taking place, collaborates with central and local authorities to improve policies, planning, budgeting, consultation, and accountability processes so that decisions and child-focused service delivery promote gender equality, GBV risk mitigation, and response and are more responsive to the needs of local communities, particularly of women and girls.
Collaborates with the central and local authorities to strengthen capacity for quality gender data collection and gender analysis for policy development, planning, implementation, coordination, and monitoring of essential social services, emphasizing community participation and accountability.
Strengthened advocacy and partnerships for gender and child-sensitive social policy
Supports correct and compelling use of gender data and evidence about children and women and coverage and impact of gender and child-focused services – in support of the social policy programme and the country programme overall.
Identifies critical partners, such as women-led networks and organizations, promotes awareness and builds the capacity of partners, and actively facilitates effective collaboration within UN agencies engaged in gender equality and social policy and protection.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have:
Education:
An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations/Development, Political Science, or another relevant technical field.
A Minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional work experience in mainstreaming gender in policies and design, implementation, and management of protection gender equality, preferably with the UN and/or international NGO.
Candidates holding a first university degree (Bachelors’ level) and two additional years of relevant professional experience may be considered.
Experience:
Professional experience working in a gender equality-focused role related to the social protection system, gender-responsive budgeting, and women’s economic empowerment.
Excellent facilitation, training, networking, and advocacy skills.
Experience working in a developing country is considered a strong asset, including through government systems.
Background and/or familiarity with emergencies is considered a strong asset.
Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment, establish harmonious and effective working relationships within and outside the organization, and exercise sound judgment in high-pressure situations.
Language Requirements:
Fluency in French and English required. Knowledge of an additional official UN or local language is an asset.
