Child Protection Consultant, Maseru, Lesotho, 12 months, UNICEF Office to the AU & ECA (Secondment to ACERWC secretariat), office-based, #594140

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

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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.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy scope of work and expected deliverables, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  TMC0003091 ToR.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have:

Minimum requirements:

• Education:  Advanced university degree (LL.M or equivalent) in human rights law, international law, gender studies, or a closely related field
• Work Experience:
  • A minimum of 5 years of progressive professional experience in human rights, child rights, gender justice, or related fields
  • Knowledge of child rights
  • Demonstrated expertise in African regional human rights mechanisms, particularly the African Union human rights system, and relevant AU normative frameworks
  • Familiarity with gender equality and disability inclusion principles
  • Knowledge of SRHR policy frameworks and their intersection with child rights, including a gender-transformative and intersectional analytical approach to girls’ rights
  • Proven experience in research, legal analysis, policy development, or treaty body engagement
  • Experience in legislative analysis, comparative law research, or law reform processes in the African context
• Language requirement: Fluency in English is required
• Skills:
  • Ability to write clearly and concisely technical and non-technical information material with a clear understanding of child rights protection, VAC/VAWG, under the framework of Gender Based violence and harmful practices
  • Strong written communication skills in English
  • Ability to work collaboratively on a multi-disciplinary team and ability to work in a multi-cultural environment
  • Demonstrated skills in diplomacy, collaboration, and interpersonal communication
  • Ability to work with sensitive data and information in an ethical, confidential, and trustworthy manner

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’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

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.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• A separate financial proposal  TMC0003091 Financial Proposal Template.docx
• Technical proposal
  • A motivation letter detailing the strengths of the consultant to carry out the assignment in a satisfactory manner supported by CV, professional experience, and professional references.
  • An introduction to understanding of the ToR and the tasks
  • Suggested methodology for the work
  • Timetable for carrying out the various tasks

Remarks:  If the TOR or financial proposal documents are not visible on certain recruitment platforms, please visit our official page Vacancies | UNICEF Careers.

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.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.