Programme Specialist, Gender, GBV and Harmful Practices

Host entity: UNFPA

Volunteer type: National

Areas of expertise: Community development, General and specialised medicine

Application deadline: 24/09/2026

Mission and objectives

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.

The country programme of UNFPA has three major components: (i) Improved comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service provision and uptake in all setting (ii) Adolescents and Youth Outcome Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (iii) Population Dynamic and Data collection and management

UNFPA in Ethiopia is led by a Country Representative accredited to the Government of Ethiopia. It has a programme team led by a Deputy Representative, International Humanitarian Coordinator, Assistant Representative and an Operations’ team led by an International Operations Manager as well as M&E team. UNFPA Ethiopia has presence in most part of the country including Benishangul Gumuz region.

Assignment context

The UN Volunteer will be part of the Gender and Social Norms Unit within UNFPA Ethiopia, which leads and coordinates a portfolio of GBV and harmful practices programmes, including initiatives on FGM, child marriage, GBV prevention and response, social norm transformation, community engagement, policy and institutional strengthening, and partnerships with government and civil society.
The assignment will support UNFPA-supported interventions implemented with national and regional government institutions, civil society organizations and other partners, with a focus on effective planning, implementation, monitoring, documentation, coordination, evidence generation, advocacy and sustainability.
Key stakeholders include relevant federal ministries and regional Women and Social Affairs institutions, UN agencies, development partners, CSOs, implementing partners and other stakeholders working on gender equality, GBV and harmful practices.

Task description

Under the overall supervision of the Gender Equality and Social Norms Programme Specialist/Unit Lead, the UN Volunteer will:

• Support planning, implementation and follow-up of GBV and harmful practices programmes and implementing partner annual workplans.

• Provide technical and programme support to interventions addressing FGM, child marriage, GBV prevention and response, social and gender norm transformation, and community engagement.

• Support national and regional initiatives, including harmful practices-free communities/kebeles and approaches promoting sustained social norm change.

• Support integration of GBV and harmful practices programming across relevant UNFPA interventions, including linkages with SRHR, livelihoods and community engagement.

• Review and provide inputs to concept notes, workplans, Terms of Reference, partner agreements, budgets and programme implementation documents.

• Support coordination with government, UN agencies, development partners, CSOs, implementing partners and other stakeholders.

• Participate in technical working groups, coordination platforms, programme review meetings and consultations, and follow up on agreed actions and deliverables.

• Support monitoring of programme implementation, results, indicators and expenditure; compile and analyse programme data and evidence.

• Contribute to periodic programme, donor and corporate reports, results frameworks, presentations and briefing materials.

• Document results, lessons learned, good practices, case studies and human-interest stories.

• Support assessments, reviews, evaluations, research and relevant data systems related to GBV, FGM, child marriage and gender/social norm transformation.

• Develop and organize technical materials, presentations, briefs and other knowledge products, and support strategic communication and advocacy initiatives.

• Support learning and experience-sharing events and dissemination of successful approaches.

• Support analysis of sustainability, institutionalization and scale-up opportunities.

• Contribute to funding proposals, donor briefs, investment cases and other resource mobilization materials, including mapping emerging funding opportunities and partnerships.

Skills and experience

At least 5 years of relevant experience in gender equality, GBV, harmful practices, FGM, child marriage, social and gender norm transformation, or related development programming.
• Experience supporting programme planning, implementation, monitoring, reporting and coordination.
• Knowledge of Ethiopia’s policy and institutional environment related to gender equality, GBV and harmful practices.

• Demonstrated ability to analyse information and translate evidence into programme recommendations and technical products.

• Experience working with government, UN agencies, NGOs/CSOs or development partners is an asset.

• Strong written and oral communication skills in English.

• Strong coordination, interpersonal, organizational and analytical skills.

• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and multidisciplinary environment.

• Proficiency in MS Office applications, particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Competencies and values

Accountability
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Communication
• Planning and organising
• Professionalism
• Self-management
• Knowledge sharing and learning

Living conditions

The Volunteer will be based at UNFPA Ethiopia in Addis Ababa and will work primarily from the office. The assignment may require participation in programme monitoring missions, consultations, workshops, partner meetings and other activities outside Addis Ababa, subject to UNFPA procedures and security considerations.

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.