TERMS OF REFERENCE
The purpose of this assignment is to strengthen the integration of child protection and GBV prevention and response within WASH Sectors in Liberia, ensuring that WASH policies, programmes, and investments contribute to safer environments and reduced violence risks for children, adolescents, and women.
The above purpose of the assignment is aligned with the fact that the African Union’s designation of 2026 as the Year of Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation positions WASH as a cornerstone of dignity, equity, and protection under Agenda 2063, not merely as infrastructure. This framing creates a critical policy window to embed child protection and GBV risk mitigation within national and continental WASH systems, particularly for women and children amid climate shocks, displacement, and urbanization.
In Liberia, persistent WASH gaps, especially in rural areas, informal settlements, schools, and health facilities, intersect with widespread GBV and child protection concerns, including sexual violence, early marriage, school dropout, and exploitation. These risks are further amplified by the country’s acute climate vulnerability. Ranked among the world’s most climate‑vulnerable countries, Liberia experiences recurrent flooding affecting an estimated 44 per cent of the population (approximately 2.2 million people). With over 70 per cent of the population lacking basic sanitation and 35 per cent practicing open defecation, particularly in coastal, riverine, and informal settlements, climate shocks routinely overwhelm already fragile WASH systems.
National projections indicate that flood‑affected populations will increase by more than 35 per cent by 2050, with extreme rainfall expected to rise by 10–40 per cent by 2064, driving recurrent inundation of sanitation and drainage infrastructure. Evidence consistently shows that in flood‑affected and informal communities, breakdowns in WASH access coincide with sharp increases in GBV and child protection risks, especially for girls and children accessing unsafe water points and sanitation facilities. Despite parallel progress in WASH and Protection sectors, protection‑sensitive design and GBV risk mitigation remain insufficiently institutionalized within WASH policies and programmes.
Aligned with UNICEF Liberia’s Country Programme and AU‑led initiatives, strengthening the integration of GBV and child protection considerations within WASH is both timely and necessary. Dedicated technical support on GBV–WASH integration will ensure that WASH investments not only expand access but actively reduce protection risks, embedding protection‑sensitive, climate‑resilient WASH as a core safeguard for the safety, dignity, and rights of women, adolescents, and children in Liberia.
The National Child Protection Consultant will provide technical leadership to embed safety, dignity, and protection considerations into WASH programming across humanitarian–development settings, with particular attention to schools, health facilities, and community water and sanitation systems. The assignment will support UNICEF Liberia’s contribution to national priorities and regional policy momentum around safe and inclusive WASH, while advancing CPD results on protection from violence and gender inequality.
Minimum requirements
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Willingness to travel and work in field environments
- Candidate must be a Liberian national
- Interested applicants must submit a cover letter together with their CV
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
Remarks
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.