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UNFPA-GBV Programme Specialist-P3/P4-Herat, Afghanistan
Position Title: GBV Programme Specialist
Receiving Agency: UNFPA
P Level: P3/P4
Location: Herat, Afghanistan
Duration: 4 months with a possible extension to 6 total months
Language: English fluency required
Receiving Agency: UNFPA
P Level: P3/P4
Location: Herat, Afghanistan
Duration: 4 months with a possible extension to 6 total months
Language: English fluency required
Background Description of Emergency / Justification for Request
Afghanistan faces a complex geopolitical and humanitarian crisis. The humanitarian crisis is escalating, affecting 16.9 million people in 2027, a situation worsened by large-scale repatriations from Iran and Pakistan. The nation is also increasingly vulnerable to climate change, with projected temperature increases of 2-3°C annually by 2050, threatening more flash floods, landslides, and recurring droughts by 2030. Within this precarious environment, maternal mortality remains shockingly high at 620 deaths per 100,000 live births, and a staggering 46% of Afghan women aged 15-49 endure intimate partner violence.
Since 2021, the Taliban has imposed draconian restrictions on Afghan women's education, employment, and movement, establishing an "institutionalized system of gender-based oppression." This is rigorously enforced by the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Law, effectively eradicating women's public life. While the ban on accessing UN premises on national female colleagues working for UN s is strictly enforced, unofficial but significant restrictions on UN employment fuel widespread uncertainty. The Taliban's decree closing public and private medical institutions to female students, including vital midwifery, nursing, and other health programs remain in effect. This decision not only aims to eliminate women's education but also obliterates a crucial professional pathway and severely limits access to essential maternal and reproductive health services, building upon the September 2021 ban on girls attending school beyond Grade 6. Despite these immense challenges, UNFPA Afghanistan has made remarkable strides in bolstering Gender-Based Violence (GBV) response services within the health sector. Significant progress is evident in the concerted efforts to empower healthcare workers with the skills necessary to deliver survivor-centered care, crucially integrating psychosocial support to ensure holistic physical and emotional well-being. Furthermore, robust referral pathways have been established, ensuring survivors can access specialized medical and/or protective assistance. Yet, the imperative to expand the reach and depth of survivor-centered approaches across all levels of the healthcare system remains critical. The demand for such sensitive and comprehensive care far exceeds current capacity, necessitating sustained investment in service provision, training, and capacity building. UNFPA continues to be the primary provider of GBV services in Afghanistan, delivering 80% of the total available services. Substantial donor funding to UNFPA underscores the urgent need for dedicated senior-level GBV programming capacity to ensure timely accountability to both donors and affected populations.
Security Situation Summary in country and main threats: (i.e armed conflict, terrorism, crime, social unrest, hazard)
The security situation remains fragile, with threats from the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISK), presence of Al Qaeda (AQ), and activities of armed opposition groups like the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF). Tensions with Pakistan due to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) also complicate security. Internal Taliban rivalries add to the instability.
Role Description: Under the overall supervision of the UNFPA CO Representative, the incumbent provides technical support for the implementation of UNFPA’s GBV programming in a humanitarian emergency. GBV programming in humanitarian emergencies in Afghanistan involves a network of health health providers and NGO implementing partners, UN agencies, and other national and international organizations that engage in comprehensive response initiatives.
Key duties include: assessment and planning; partnership development; training and sensitization; and monitoring and evaluation. Planning, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of GBV initiatives will be conducted through the use of available global guidelines and standards, and will be in line with UNFPA’s Minimum Standards for Addressing GBV in Emergencies. In countries where the Cluster System has been initiated, UNFPA and UNICEF have joint responsibility for either establishing and/or leading a GBV coordination body under the Protection Cluster or for actively identifying and supporting another agency to take on this role. In Cluster countries, the incumbent will represent UNFPA to ensure the Fund’s issues and actions are adequately and appropriately reflected and to enable a better-coordinated response to GBV in the humanitarian setting.
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: We ask Country offices to review the list of duties and responsibilities and make appropriate amendments where necessary.
Programme Development and Implementation
● Conduct field assessments and/ or situational analyses to determine needs and gaps for GBV prevention and response. Where appropriate, ensure GBV issues are integrated in other key assessments.
● In partnership with relevant UN, national and international NGOs, and non government stakeholders, develop a sustainable GBV programme in line with available global guidance that adheres to UNFPA’s Minimum Standards for Addressing GBV in Emergencies.
● Orient UNFPA CO staff, implementing partners, and national partners in planning and implementing GBV programmes related to refugees, IDPs/returnees and host communities. ● Coordinate and facilitate training sessions on GBV in emergencies for health care providers, community services officers, security personnel, the refugee/IDP population, etc. ● Oversee the procurement of emergency post-rape kits and other relevant commodities and monitor their distribution and utilization by the end-point user.
● Support the CO to accelerate implementation of activities funded through CERF, ECHO, FCDO, Korea and UNFPA Emergency Response Fund and engage with donors to raise additional programme funds in line with overarching vision and work plan.
Partnerships
● Maintain solid working relationships; in collaboration with the GBV Sub-Cluster Coordinator and UNFPA Representative/Head of Office, provide regular and comprehensive updates related to UNFPA’s progress to address GBV with the UN Country Team, GBV Workstreamr, Protection Cluster, Health Cluster, and other relevant actors.
● Under the supervision of the Humanitarian Coordinator /Head of Office, represent UNFPA in relevant Cluster and other humanitarian coordination bodies to ensure that GBV issues are adequately considered in the context of the humanitarian response efforts.
● Establish linkages between existing Gender, RH and Youth programmes to ensure synergies between programmes that maximize programme impact.
Reporting
● Monitor GBV assistance provided by UNFPA through implementing partners to crisis affected populations.
● Monitor UNFPA’s GBV programme activities by keeping a close record of activities, such as capacity building, expenditures and agreements made with local partners.
● Prepare regular progress reports and document lessons learned and share with the relevant UNFPA Regional Office, UNFPA Humanitarian and Response Division , and other units as necessary.
● Support CO on coordination of humanitarian issues and prepare reports and SitReps, as required.
Capacity Development
● Provide coaching to newly recruited staff and consultants, where appropriate. ● Coach and build capacity of relevant staff members as well as staff of implementing partners responding to emergency/humanitarian crisis, as needed.
Qualifications and Skills Required
● Advanced technical degree with specialization in areas such as social work, public health, gender, law/human rights, international relations, and/or other related social science disciplines.
● 2 to 10 years of specialized experience addressing GBV at the international level; experience in this field in a humanitarian context is an asset.
● Demonstrated leadership and management experience within a multinational and multicultural environment.
● Direct experience providing support to GBV survivors as an asset.
● Proficiency in English required.
Afghanistan faces a complex geopolitical and humanitarian crisis. The humanitarian crisis is escalating, affecting 16.9 million people in 2027, a situation worsened by large-scale repatriations from Iran and Pakistan. The nation is also increasingly vulnerable to climate change, with projected temperature increases of 2-3°C annually by 2050, threatening more flash floods, landslides, and recurring droughts by 2030. Within this precarious environment, maternal mortality remains shockingly high at 620 deaths per 100,000 live births, and a staggering 46% of Afghan women aged 15-49 endure intimate partner violence.
Since 2021, the Taliban has imposed draconian restrictions on Afghan women's education, employment, and movement, establishing an "institutionalized system of gender-based oppression." This is rigorously enforced by the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Law, effectively eradicating women's public life. While the ban on accessing UN premises on national female colleagues working for UN s is strictly enforced, unofficial but significant restrictions on UN employment fuel widespread uncertainty. The Taliban's decree closing public and private medical institutions to female students, including vital midwifery, nursing, and other health programs remain in effect. This decision not only aims to eliminate women's education but also obliterates a crucial professional pathway and severely limits access to essential maternal and reproductive health services, building upon the September 2021 ban on girls attending school beyond Grade 6. Despite these immense challenges, UNFPA Afghanistan has made remarkable strides in bolstering Gender-Based Violence (GBV) response services within the health sector. Significant progress is evident in the concerted efforts to empower healthcare workers with the skills necessary to deliver survivor-centered care, crucially integrating psychosocial support to ensure holistic physical and emotional well-being. Furthermore, robust referral pathways have been established, ensuring survivors can access specialized medical and/or protective assistance. Yet, the imperative to expand the reach and depth of survivor-centered approaches across all levels of the healthcare system remains critical. The demand for such sensitive and comprehensive care far exceeds current capacity, necessitating sustained investment in service provision, training, and capacity building. UNFPA continues to be the primary provider of GBV services in Afghanistan, delivering 80% of the total available services. Substantial donor funding to UNFPA underscores the urgent need for dedicated senior-level GBV programming capacity to ensure timely accountability to both donors and affected populations.
Security Situation Summary in country and main threats: (i.e armed conflict, terrorism, crime, social unrest, hazard)
The security situation remains fragile, with threats from the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISK), presence of Al Qaeda (AQ), and activities of armed opposition groups like the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF). Tensions with Pakistan due to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) also complicate security. Internal Taliban rivalries add to the instability.
Role Description: Under the overall supervision of the UNFPA CO Representative, the incumbent provides technical support for the implementation of UNFPA’s GBV programming in a humanitarian emergency. GBV programming in humanitarian emergencies in Afghanistan involves a network of health health providers and NGO implementing partners, UN agencies, and other national and international organizations that engage in comprehensive response initiatives.
Key duties include: assessment and planning; partnership development; training and sensitization; and monitoring and evaluation. Planning, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of GBV initiatives will be conducted through the use of available global guidelines and standards, and will be in line with UNFPA’s Minimum Standards for Addressing GBV in Emergencies. In countries where the Cluster System has been initiated, UNFPA and UNICEF have joint responsibility for either establishing and/or leading a GBV coordination body under the Protection Cluster or for actively identifying and supporting another agency to take on this role. In Cluster countries, the incumbent will represent UNFPA to ensure the Fund’s issues and actions are adequately and appropriately reflected and to enable a better-coordinated response to GBV in the humanitarian setting.
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: We ask Country offices to review the list of duties and responsibilities and make appropriate amendments where necessary.
Programme Development and Implementation
● Conduct field assessments and/ or situational analyses to determine needs and gaps for GBV prevention and response. Where appropriate, ensure GBV issues are integrated in other key assessments.
● In partnership with relevant UN, national and international NGOs, and non government stakeholders, develop a sustainable GBV programme in line with available global guidance that adheres to UNFPA’s Minimum Standards for Addressing GBV in Emergencies.
● Orient UNFPA CO staff, implementing partners, and national partners in planning and implementing GBV programmes related to refugees, IDPs/returnees and host communities. ● Coordinate and facilitate training sessions on GBV in emergencies for health care providers, community services officers, security personnel, the refugee/IDP population, etc. ● Oversee the procurement of emergency post-rape kits and other relevant commodities and monitor their distribution and utilization by the end-point user.
● Support the CO to accelerate implementation of activities funded through CERF, ECHO, FCDO, Korea and UNFPA Emergency Response Fund and engage with donors to raise additional programme funds in line with overarching vision and work plan.
Partnerships
● Maintain solid working relationships; in collaboration with the GBV Sub-Cluster Coordinator and UNFPA Representative/Head of Office, provide regular and comprehensive updates related to UNFPA’s progress to address GBV with the UN Country Team, GBV Workstreamr, Protection Cluster, Health Cluster, and other relevant actors.
● Under the supervision of the Humanitarian Coordinator /Head of Office, represent UNFPA in relevant Cluster and other humanitarian coordination bodies to ensure that GBV issues are adequately considered in the context of the humanitarian response efforts.
● Establish linkages between existing Gender, RH and Youth programmes to ensure synergies between programmes that maximize programme impact.
Reporting
● Monitor GBV assistance provided by UNFPA through implementing partners to crisis affected populations.
● Monitor UNFPA’s GBV programme activities by keeping a close record of activities, such as capacity building, expenditures and agreements made with local partners.
● Prepare regular progress reports and document lessons learned and share with the relevant UNFPA Regional Office, UNFPA Humanitarian and Response Division , and other units as necessary.
● Support CO on coordination of humanitarian issues and prepare reports and SitReps, as required.
Capacity Development
● Provide coaching to newly recruited staff and consultants, where appropriate. ● Coach and build capacity of relevant staff members as well as staff of implementing partners responding to emergency/humanitarian crisis, as needed.
Qualifications and Skills Required
● Advanced technical degree with specialization in areas such as social work, public health, gender, law/human rights, international relations, and/or other related social science disciplines.
● 2 to 10 years of specialized experience addressing GBV at the international level; experience in this field in a humanitarian context is an asset.
● Demonstrated leadership and management experience within a multinational and multicultural environment.
● Direct experience providing support to GBV survivors as an asset.
● Proficiency in English required.
CANADEM and its partners have a no-tolerance policy for inaction to prevent, respond to and follow up on alleged cases of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH). For this reason, we adhere to all policies, procedures and training of the United Nations on The Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH). CANADEM mandates all deployees successfully complete the PSEA online course. This e-learning course is composed of a set of lessons designed to raise awareness about SEAH, become familiar with a range of measures to combat SEAH, understand the impact on victims and the consequences for UN Personnel who commit Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment.