Back Fast Track Procedure - Sexual and Reproductive Health in Emergencies Specialist, Maiduguri, Nigeria, P3

The Position:

The Sexual and Reproductive Health in Emergencies (SRHiE) Specialist will be based in Maidugui to provide oversight and technical leadership to reproductive health programs in the North East region of Nigeria. The SRHiE Specialist supports the Humanitarian Programme Coordinator in Nigeria and establishes and maintains collaborative relationships with other counterparts in government, multilateral and bilateral donor agencies and civil society to address emerging issues. S/he must effectively influence counterparts from diverse backgrounds to contribute to achieving UNFPA’s SRHiE mandate.

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:

Nigeria faces multiple crises, with a protracted conflict in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) states, which has spread to neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger, intercommunal clashes in the northwest that have led to over 40,000 people crossing the border with Niger for safety, and climate shocks such as drought and floods. Nigeria also hosts about 50,000 Cameroonian refugees in the west and faces a widespread farmers/herders crisis in its middle belt region.

According to the Global Risk Index INFORM, Nigeria today is amongst the countries with the highest overall projected conflict risk index and increased risk in socio-economic vulnerability, inequality, and food insecurity in 2019. After more than ten years of conflict, the humanitarian crisis in the BAY states remains one of the most severe in the world today. A total of 8.7 million people – more than one in two people in the three crisis-affected states are in need of humanitarian assistance in 2021. The majority of the people in need are in Borno State, the epicenter of the crisis. One in four of the affected population is under 5 years of age. Women and children are the face of the crisis. Women and children constitute 81% of the overall crisis population and 87% of the new displacements. The gendered dimensions of displacement is having a significant impact on the status of women and girls especially within the context of mobility, fragmentation of households, demoralization and trauma.

The crisis is predominantly a protection crisis characterized by grave violations of human rights and dignity. Protection concerns including killings and maiming, sexual violence and abuse, arbitrary arrests and detention without access to justice and legal services, physical safety and security, forced recruitment, abductions forced marriages and forced displacement remain a major concern for the physical and mental wellbeing of IDPs, returnees and host communities in the BAY states. Since the start of the conflict in 2009, over 36,000 people have been killed in the BAY states – almost half of them civilians. Some 22,000 people are still missing, which is the highest number of missing persons globally, and 60 per cent of them are minors. A total of 1,947 cases of recruitment and use of children by armed groups were reported in 2018. Gender-based violence is pervasive, with 99 percent of reported cases being against women and girls. Desperation drives women to negative coping strategies such as exchanging sex for food and other necessities. These all drive greater maternal mortality, morbidity such as fistula, unwanted pregnancies, and girls dropping out of school.

NSAGs’ activities have extensively damaged hospitals, schools, markets, roads, communication towers and many other community assets as well as disrupting essential social services. Of the 2,631 health facilities in BAY states, 23% are either damaged (12.4%) or non-functional (10.2%), while 11.4% are only partially functional. This places a huge strain on the functional facilities. NSAG attacks and vandalization of health facilities continue to be reported in Borno state, significantly disrupting delivery and access to essential health care services in many LGAs.

In response to the humanitarian situation, UNFPA is working with government authorities, UN sister agencies and non-governmental organizations on the prevention and response to GBV as well as delivery of a comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to the affected population. UNFPA is delivering a response package that includes assisted delivery, obstetric care, family planning, GBV coordination, clinical management of rape, psychosocial support (PSS), case management, establishment of safe spaces for women and girls, and GBV prevention. UNFPA is also the lead agency for interagency GBV and SRH coordination where it coordinates the GBV Sub-Sector, the SRH Working Group, the GBVIMS Technical Group and the PSEA Task Force.

The present job description is to provide oversight and technical leadership to sexual and reproductive health programs and coordination in the North East region of Nigeria.

Under the overall supervision and guidance of UNFPA Representative and the direct supervision of the Humanitarian Coordinator, the Reproductive Health Specialist will be based in Maiduguri to provide oversight and technical leadership to reproductive health programs in the North East region of Nigeria. The incumbent will be responsible for the overall coordination for effective and efficient implementation of the reproductive health component in the North East states while contributing to the Nigeria Humanitarian Response Plan.

Qualifications and Experience:

Education:

Advanced university degree, with specialization in areas such as in medicine, Public Health, or relevant Social Sciences.

Knowledge and Experience:

Languages:

Fluency in English; knowledge of other official UN languages is desirable.

Compensation and Benefits:

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

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. 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.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements.

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.

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