International consultant -Violence Against Children in EMRO region-VIP/VAC

1.Purpose of the Consultancy

The purpose of this international consultancy is to assist the Violence, Injuries and Disabilities programme (VIP) in EMRO in addressing violence against children in health including following-up on the implementation of the outcomes of the First Ministerial Conference on Violence Against Children in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR).

Background

Violence Against Children (VAC) is a pervasive global public health and human rights issue. According to the Global status report on preventing violence against children 2020, the EMR has the third highest child homicide rate globally. Beyond injuries and deaths, VAC causes devastating health, educational, social and economic consequences for children, their families and societies. Such violence is further exacerbated by the prevailing humanitarian crisis and emergencies existing in the EMR, creating unique challenges.

WHO has been forthcoming in working closely with partners to address violence against children in all settings and contexts from a public health perspective. The Global action plan on Strengthening the health system’s response to violence, especially against women and girls and against children, endorsed by Member States in 2016, and consequent WHA resolution 67.15 provides the political mandate to strengthen the role of health within a multisectoral action to address this menace. This was followed by another landmark resolution on Ending violence against children (74.17) in 2021 further reinforcing previous commitments. This needs to be aligned within an overall child health perspectives. The Regional implementation framework for newborn, child and adolescent health 2019–2023 also highlights injuries and violence as key areas.

The First Ministerial Conference on Violence Against Children, held in November 2024, brought together global and regional leaders to affirm high-level commitments to end all forms of such. Several countries in the EMR made concrete pledges to accelerate national action in this area. These included legislative reforms, improved data systems, investment in prevention programs, and multi-sectoral coordination mechanisms. Other EMR countries are also implementing and championing health programs to prevent and respond to violence against children, in line with the outcome document of the conference. WHO is committed to technically supporting all related efforts in all contexts.

Building on the momentum of the Global Conference, , a follow-up on ongoing and planned efforts to address violence against children is essential to assess progress, identify challenges, and support the effective evidence-based implementation across the Region.

2.Planned timelines (subject to confirmation)

The planned duration of the consultancy is of four months

Start date:15/08/2025

End date: 15/12/2025

3.Work to be performed

The following outputs, to be performed in full consultation with WHO.

Output 1: Support selected EMR countries in operationalizing and monitoring Ministerial pledges on VAC and advancing national VAC programming

Deliverable 1.1: Mapping of health system response to VAC in the EMR

• Undertake a mapping exercise of related efforts in EMR countries that made pledges or countries that are actively strengthening health sector response to VAC.
• Draft a situational analysis based on the findings of the mapping for WHO review and feedback.

Deliverable 1.2: Design a tool to track progress in addressing VAC at country level

• Design and apply a practical tool/template to track progress on pledges and/or VAC programming in health and support country engagement to translate the political commitments into concrete actions.

Deliverable 1.3: Develop country specific sheets

• Draft country-specific sheets reflecting actions taken with a focus on the health sector since the Ministerial Conference based on national plans, with identification of technical support needed from WHO.

Output 2: Document progress, bottlenecks, and lessons learned through a structured follow-up and consultation process

Deliverable 2.1: Structured follow-up and stakeholder consultation

• Conduct meetings with countries with concerned counterparts to identify challenges and bottlenecks as well as mitigating actions to capture pledge/programme implementation status and systemic challenges.

Deliverable 2.3: Summary report on VAC action across EMR countries

• Synthesis of progress and barriers relating to addressing VAC in health, within an overall multisectoral response, in different contexts across the Region.

Output 3: Support regional analysis and research efforts to implement EMR country pledges/programmes to address VAC

Deliverable 3.1: Conduct research to support VAC pledge implementation and programming

• Draft a VAC health policy desk review
• Support other relevant VAC health-related analysis and research as needed

Output 4: Facilitate policy analysis and country level dialogue based on the results of the global RMNCAH policy survey with a focus of child and adolescent health including VAC

Deliverable 4.1: Perform regional analysis and synthesise a regional brief on child and adolescent health component [including VAC} of RMNCAH policy survey

oDraft the regional brief

oSupport policy dialogue exercise with high burden countries

4.Technical Supervision

The selected Consultant will work on the supervision of:

Responsible Officer:	Dr Hala Sakr Ali, TO/VIP/HPD	Email:	sakrha@who.int
Manager:	Dr Asmus Hammerich, A/HPD	Email:	hammericha@who.int

5.Specific requirements

- Qualifications required:

Masters degree in medicine, public health or epidemiology.

- Experience required:

Essential:

·5 to 10years of relevant experience in public health, which include experience in data collection/analysis (such as surveys, datasets) for action.

·Experience in violence against children and child and adolescent health.

·International experience is mandatory for international consultant.

·Desirable: Previous experience working with WHO or the UN

Skills / Technical skills and knowledge:

·Excellent inter-personal skills with the demonstrated ability to work effectively withgovernment officials as well as with national and international organizations.

·Good management abilities and experience.

·Familiarity with the goals and procedures of international organizations (UN system, donors, non-governmental organizations).

·Thorough knowledge of violence and injury prevention-related issues is an asset.

·Experience working with legal documents is an asset.

·Experience working in Eastern Mediterranean Regional countries is an asset.

·Ability to coordinate, plan and implement projects, conduct training activities, effectively monitor, and analyze data and present results.

·Ability to work independently and deliver high quality work on time.

·Computer proficiency in Outlook, MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

- Language requirements:

Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English. Knowledge of Arabic is an asset.

6.Place of assignment

All tasks will be conducted remotely

7.Medical clearance

The selected Consultant will be expected to provide a medical certificate of fitness for work.

8.Travel

No travel is required

Additional Information

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.

·WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.

• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.

WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.