How can you make a difference?
BACKGROUND: The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) contains specific provisions that address gender-based violence, harmful practices, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Article 21 explicitly prohibits harmful social and cultural practices affecting the welfare, dignity, and normal growth of the child, including child marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Articles 16 and 27 address protection from abuse, neglect, and sexual exploitation, respectively. Despite this robust normative framework, significant implementation gaps persist. A considerable proportion of AU member states have not submitted periodic reports, and among those who have, the quality and depth of reporting on Violence Against Girls (VAG), harmful practices, and SRHR remains inconsistent. Many states lack the technical capacity to translate ACERWC's Concluding Recommendations into concrete legislative and policy reforms. This persistent gap between normative commitment and domestic implementation constitutes the central challenge that this consultancy seeks to address.
ACERWC as a key regional accountability mechanism whose normative authority and treaty body mandate can be leveraged to accelerate legislative and policy reform at the national level has partnered with UNICEF to implement (a) Pillar1: Laws and Policies - Ensuring that national legal and policy frameworks are aligned with international and regional human rights standards on VAG, and (b) Pillar 2: Institutions - Strengthening the capacity of government institutions and regional bodies to prevent and respond to violence.
Purpose of Assignment: Develop practical, state-facing tools (which include a Disaggregated Data Compilation Checklist and a Concluding Recommendations Implementation Matrix) to operationalize ACERWC’s reporting checklist, ensuring alignment with the thematic priorities and data needs of the Special Rapporteurs on Violence Against Children (SR-VAC) and on Harmful Practices (SR-HP).
• To design and deliver a targeted technical workshop on quality periodic and complementary reporting, and implementation of ACERWC’s recommendations on VAG, HP, and SRHR, incorporating guidance on engagement by the SR-VAC and SR-HP.
• To sensitise policymakers, including the Committee, on emerging forms of VAG in the digital space, drawing on the normative frameworks developed by the SR-VAC and SR-HP, and generate advocacy materials that highlight nuanced issues of girls' welfare and SRHR through an intersectional lens.
• To produce evidence-based advocacy material examining survival-driven transactional sex among pregnant and parenting adolescent girls as a form of VAG and an SRHR violation, strengthening both ACERWC's and the Special Rapporteurs' monitoring frameworks on this issue.
Minimum requirements
Desirables
- Proficiency in French is an asset
- Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate...
UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.
- An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
- Cover letter
Technical proposal
UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.
All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.