National Consultant: Support Multi-Country Scoping Review on Masculinities and Child, Early and Forced Marriages, UNFPA Bangladesh
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Consultant Consultancy Locallly Recruited The Position:
UNFPA Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (APRO) is leading a regional effort to strengthen approaches to addressing harmful masculinities and social norms that perpetuate gender-based violence (GBV) and harmful practices, working closely with UNFPA Country Offices in Cambodia, Bangladesh, and the Philippines, and collaborating with UNICEF EAPRO as part of a regional initiative on addressing Child, Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM) in Southeast Asia.
As part of this comprehensive approach, APRO is initiating a multi-country scoping review in these three countries, and has hired an international consultant at the regional level to lead the initiative in collaboration with national counterparts
To support this initiative, UNFPA Bangladesh is hiring a national consultant to work closely with the UNFPA CO team and the international consultant on data collection and evidence generation to inform future programming.
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:
The purpose of this national consultancy service is to collaborate with UNFPA Bangladesh CO and APRO teams to generate evidence and develop strategic frameworks. This consultancy will focus on promoting positive masculinities and strengthening the gender-transformative engagement of men and boys to prevent GBV and CEFM in Asia and the Pacific, including in Bangladesh.
You would be responsible for:
The consultants will provide short-term technical assistance, research and outreach services to support the research and analysis. Specifically, the national, individual consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:
● Participate in the team planning meeting at the start of the data collection phase, and in, at least two meetings with the other country consultants and the international consultant to discuss the themes emerging from the data collection effort;
● Contribute to the generation of a list of key informants (names, titles, contact information) for the methodology which will be provided in advance, and make initial contact with these organizations;
● Schedule interviews and organize focus group discussions (FGDs);
● Lead key informant interviews and take detailed notes, and coordinate, facilitate and record (FGDs), including travelling to the locations (4 locations, including Dhaka, Bandarban, Satkhira/Noakhali, and Gaibandha);
● At the end of each day of interviews/FGDs, identify key themes and code notes in a shared spreadsheet;
● Generate a four-page summary of key findings, themes and recommendations at the national level;
● Participate in the research team’s participatory analysis workshop, contributing to the qualitative analysis of the interview data and identifying recommendations for the regional strategy;
● Contribute to presentation to stakeholders to validate recommendations.
Task/deliverable Days
1. Team planning meeting 0.5 day
2. Develop list of key informants and groups with which to hold FGDs, provide/obtain contact information, make initial contact 3.5 days
3. Schedule and conduct 28 interviews, and lead 4-6 FGDs and take notes 12.0 days
4. Every day/2x week enter key notes, themes, and quotes into shared spreadsheet, and write country summary 6.0 days
5. Prepare and participate in meetings to discuss themes emerging from data collection (2 meetings) 2.0 days
6. Contribute to research team’s participatory analysis workshop, and identify recommendations for regional strategy 2.0 days
TOTAL days 26.00
Duration and working schedule: This consultancy will be for 26 working days, starting from 1 April 2026 until October 30, 2026, subject to successful completion of the tasks/deliverables.
Place where services are to be delivered: The services are to be delivered to the UNFPA Country Office. All versions of the final documents should be delivered in appropriate electronic format.
Supervisory arrangements: The consultant will report to UNFPA Bangladesh’s Unit Chief, Adolescents and Youth unit. S/he will seek input and review from the international consultant and input, review and approval from the Unit Chief on the key technical deliverables.
Expected travel: The consultant will be expected to travel to a maximum of 4 districts, including Dhaka, Bandarban, Satkhira/Noakhali, and Gaibandha. UNFPA will cover all associated costs for travel and accommodation.
Qualifications and Experience:
Education: Advanced University degree, preferably at Masters’ level, in the social sciences or related field such as Women and Gender Studies, Development Studies, Sociology, Anthropplogy or any other relevant fields.
Work experience:
● Demonstrated prior experience in masculinity, men and boys engagement, gender integration, including the prevention and response to child marriage and gender-based violence, as well as addressing social and gender norms. Experience should encompass working with civil society organizations, international and local development organizations, and academic institutions, including qualitative and quantitative research (interviews and FGDs) and capacity building on gender and women's rights.
● Strong technical foundation in gender and one or more of the following areas:
o Social sciences
o Public health
o Global development
Skill areas: Masculinity, Gender analysis and integration, women and girls’ empowerment, qualitative and/or mixed methods research, policy development, writing and communications
Languages: Bangla and English
General: Works well in a team environment, demonstrates integrity, able to multi-task, inclusive of all people and fosters participation of others
Required Competencies:
Values:
Embracing change
Inputs/services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner (e.g. support services, office space, equipment), if applicable: UNFPA will provide support to access relevant programme documents and data. The consultant will be responsible for arranging their own laptops and audio recording device (if needed). The consultant will make necessary arrangements to make contact with relevant informants and group respondents.
Payment Instruction: Payment will be divided into two installments:
- 50% upon the completion of interviews, and
- the remaining 50% after the completion of Task 6.
UNFPA Work Environment:
UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.
Other relevant information or special conditions, if any: Ethical Considerations: The consultant must respect the confidentiality of all data and information obtained during this consultancy, including programme data, beneficiary information, and internal UNFPA documents. This obligation survives the termination of the consultancy.
Intellectual Property: All consultancy outputs and intellectual property rights will belong to UNFPA.
Confidentiality: The consultant must ensure data privacy and security, complying with UNFPA's policies and relevant data privacy regulations.
