Job Description
The Position:
Bangladesh faces a critical challenge: widespread gender inequality and genderbased violence (GBV). A staggering 73% of married women have experienced violence in their lifetime, according to the 2015 VAW survey. GBV is one of the driving forces of child marriage, the highest in Southeast Asia, whilst married girls are at higher risk of GBV including Intimate partner violence (IPV) which remains a pervasive issue across the country.
UNFPA actively addresses GBV, collaborating with police/justice, health and social service sectors to improve access to services for survivors, including adolescent girls. This includes deploying specially trained professionals and caseworkers in key communities. According to the Essential Service Package (ESP) on GBV, social service providers play a key role in ensuring survivor centred case management as well as multi-sectoral referrals. However, social workforces are overall lacking in terms of their numbers and capacity across the country whilst their institutional set up and coordination needs to be strengthened. A UN joint programme with UNICEF, Global Programme to End Child Marriage (GPECM), provides a unique opportunity to address this gap.
Moreover, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services for GBV survivors fall significantly short, particularly outside the humanitarian response for Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar. UNFPA's 2019 meta-analysis reveals gaps in community-level MHPSS support, despite availability for extreme medical cases.
To address these critical gaps, UNFPA Bangladesh, with support from the Embassy of France, stepped up its MHPSS intervention in August 2021. This initiative aims to mainstream MHPSS across GBV prevention and response efforts, expanding access for both survivors and women/girls at risk of GBV, all while adhering to the "Do No Harm" principle. The initiative primarily involved training of police, midwives and community health workers on Psychological First Aid through the development of training modules and conducting ToT training. Ensuring the sustainability of this initiative is paramount.
The consultant is expected to build on the work of the MHPSS initiative and contribute to its sustainability through institutional integration, resource mobilization, technical assistance, knowledge sharing, and program partnerships.
This comprehensive approach also is intended to contribute to creating a sustainable system where social services including MHPSS services are readily available and accessible for all GBV survivors and at-risk individuals, including adolescents and youth, in Bangladesh.
Job Purpose:
The consultant will work under the overall guidance of the Deputy Representative of UNFPA Bangladesh, and direct supervision of the Chief of the Gender unit to carry out the activities mentioned above. The Programme Specialist - Gender will also provide support to the consultant as needed.
You would be responsible for:
Technical support:
● Provide strategic support and technical assistance to the relevant institutions for strengthening their capacity to deliver and sustain social services including referrals, PFA services, and PSS, as appropriate, for GBV survivors within their regular programs.
● Support in strengthening linkages between MHPSS in GBV and Child Marriage response and prevention activities, including MHPSS, in the GPECM programme districts.
● Provide analysis on social service sector/work forces and technical advice UNFPA’s GBV and A&Y programming
● Review existing case management capacity of the social work force and identify scopes for collaboration and integration.
● Provide analysis on GBV case management practices and technical advice UNFPA’s GBV and child marriage programming
● Follow up with the relevant government counterparts to expand the coverage of the MHPSS training using the systemic cascading approach of the intervention by integrating training modules into their mainstream curriculum.
● Assess the quality and effectiveness of the ALAPON Helpline services and strengthen its management system including data analysis o.
● Provide technical assistance for MHPSS initiatives in Cox's Bazar and humanitarian contexts across Bangladesh.
Advocacy, partnerships and resource mobilization:
● Support ESP roll out, especially on the health and social services pillar, by strengthening partnerships and coordination with the relevant Government, UN agencies and other development partners (e.g. MOWCA, MOHFW, DSS, UNICEF).
● Support Coordination efforts to improve referral pathways for GBV survivors, identifying MHPSS resource persons for higher level referrals after ensuring MHPSS providers demonstrate survivor-centered practices.
● Disseminate best practices and lessons learned from the project through various channels, including workshops, publications, and advocacy campaigns, to promote wider adoption of MHPSS approaches at the appropriate level of intervention for GBV survivors in Bangladesh.
● Support the senior management in mobilizing resources for the continuation and expansion of the MHPSS initiative.
● Facilitate UNFPA’s internal coordination and integration with A&Y, SRHR, and PPR units for maximum reach and efficiency on MHPSS services provided through various sectors/actors.
● Work with WHO and the National Institute of Mental Health to ensure gender-responsiveness of mhGAP and WHO-led Special Initiative on Mental Health in Bangladesh.Partner with relevant stakeholders for resource mobilization and policy advocacy, especially with the relevant government bodies.
● Liaise with stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, and development partners, to ensure effective coordination and collaboration for the implementation of the activities.
Programming support:
● Develop and implement a Monitoring and Evaluation plan (M&E) to assess the effectiveness of the training program, track its impact on MHPSS service delivery, and identify areas for improvement.
● Prepare project/funding proposals outlining programmatic needs, and draft comprehensive reports and presentations on progress, findings, and recommendations.
● Perform any other duties as required by the Deputy Representative/Representative, UNFPA;
Please apply and find more information on the vacancy here.
The deadline for the application is 01 April 2024.
Note: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further consideration. Female candidates are encouraged to apply.
