The Position:
Under the direct supervision of the UNFPA CO Humanitarian Coordinator and overall supervision of the Country Representative, the incumbent is expected to support quality and timely implementation of UNFPA GBViE programme. GBV programming in humanitarian emergencies is multi-sectoral and involves organizations and actors from the displaced and host communities, NGO and government implementing partners, UN agencies, and other national and international organizations that engage in comprehensive prevention and 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 the Interagency Minimum Standards for Addressing GBV in Emergencies and the GBViE Coordination Handbook.
How you can make a difference:
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.
Job Purpose:
Over 13 years of ongoing conflict in north-east Nigeria are taking their toll on populations in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states. Violent attacks by non-state armed groups and counter-operations are expected to continue to drive vulnerabilities and needs among affected people and communities in 2023. Underlying issues of widespread poverty, unemployment, socio-economic imbalances, political marginalization, governance deficits, massive population growth and climate shocks which rank the operativeamong root causes of the crisis remain largely unaddressed.
Increased insecurity in the North East recently with multiple attacks by the Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs) on humanitarian community in Borno. In recent weeks there have been repeated attacks on humanitarian facilities with the most recent in Monguno LGA where three drivers working with an NGO were abducted and civilians and security operatives killed and humanitarian assets destroyed.
Escalating insecurity in North-Central and North-West states (Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto) is likely to continue generating new displacement and humanitarian needs in a different cornersI of the country. The insecurity, characterized primarily by armed banditry and kidnapping, is rapidly expanding to neighbouring states, with pockets of increasing insecurity also reported in the states of Kano and Kebbi. In recent weeks there have been attacks on both railway and air transport in Kaduna city where UNFPA and other UN agencies coordinate support to the governments of the three North-western states in providing humanitarian assistance to the affected.
The staggering devastation caused by the current floods in Nigeria is enormous, causing a humanitarian crisis across the nation. The flooding has affected more than 3 million people. Over 600 people have lost their lives, and another 1.5 million have been forced to flee their homes. The floods have extensively damaged houses, farms, and basic infrastructure and decimated people's livelihoods.
A new caseload of more than 16,000 refugees recently moved to Adamawa state with very severe GBV and SRH needs as per a UNHCR multisector rapid needs assessment done last week. There are projections that some 18,000 more will move into Nigeria in the coming days as the government of Cameroon is not making any significant effort to address the security situation in the region.
Intra-party clashes dominated the political landscape as Nigerians continued to count down to the 25 February presidential poll. Socio-economic considerations also came to the fore in response to the Central Bank’s deadline to return old Naira notes, resulting in an increased demand for cash and concerns over disadvantages for unbanked parts of the population. Additionally, several court cases and subsequent judgments arose in response to election-related petitions, with the most consequential being a tribunal decision to reverse the July 2022 Osun State governorship election. Finally, a growing number of security-related incidents, including attacks against both a presidential candidate and the current president, continued to demonstrate the scale of the challenge ahead of government officials aiming to ensure that the polls proceed without disruption
Additional pressures and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on already-limited opportunities and services — particularly livelihoods, agriculture, health, education among others — have deepened vulnerabilities of populations across the BAY states and impacted government revenues and capacity to respond to the crisis. The persistent economic fall-out of the pandemic has increased vulnerability and food insecurity in the BAY States. Humanitarian organizations’ self-imposed precautions inevitably retard operations.
Protection needs are formidable. Women and girls are under threat of violence, abduction and rape, for example when venturing outside the trenches that surround many IDP camps to collect firewood, though also within IDP camps. Gender-based violence is growing, as are forced and child marriage; women and girls still lack adequate protection and access to services. Desperation drives women to negative coping strategies such as exchanging sex for food and other necessities. These all drive greater maternal mortality, morbidities such as fistula, unwanted pregnancies, and girls dropping out of school. Displacement and returns impose high risk on separated and unaccompanied children. Adolescent boys risk forcible recruitment by armed groups or suspicion on the part of authorities of association with armed groups.
NSAGs’ activities have extensively damaged hospitals, schools, markets, roads, communication towers and many other community assets as well as disrupting essential social services. Of the 2,631 health facilities in BAY states, 23% are either damaged (12.4%) or non-functional (10.2%), while 11.4% are only partially functional.[xvii] This places a huge strain on the functional facilities. NSAG attacks and vandalization of health facilities continue to be reported in Borno state, significantly disrupting delivery and access to essential health care services in many LGAs. Hoodlums vandalized and looted the Adamawa state primary health care warehouses in October 2020 and carted away essential and non-essential medicines and drugs, paralyzing supplies to the state’s health facilities.
To address the dire needs of women and girls in this situation, in 2023 UNFPA has developed a response plan targeting some 2.7 million persons in the BAY states. This response plan that focuses on addressing the SRH and GBV needs of the affected population was budgeted at US$ 23.3 million. The Humanitarian Country Team is also requesting lead humanitarian agencies like UNFPA to be well prepared to respond to the needs of the affected populations out of the BAY states particularly the North West, Middle-Belt and the Cameroonian refugees in the eastern part of the country.
The present JD is for the GBViE Programme Specialist to support the scaling up of GBV multi-sectoral response in the Adamawa State and other conflict affected North-East State of Nigeria.
Qualifications and Experience:
- At least five years of specialized experience addressing GBV at the international level; experience in this field in a humanitarian context an asset.
- Demonstrated leadership and management experience within a multinational and multicultural environment.
- Proved experience in survivors-centered approach
- Direct experience providing support to GBV survivors an asset.
Education:
Advanced degree with specialization in areas such as social work, public health, gender, law/human rights, international relations, and/or other related social science disciplines.
Languages:
Fluency in English required. Knowledge in other UN official languages an asset.
Compensation and Benefits:
This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.
Disclaimer:
UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Fraudulent notices, letters or offers may be submitted to the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm
In accordance with the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, persons applying to posts in the international Professional category, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.
We are no longer accepting applications for this position.
