226939 - Social Norms/Behavior Change Analyst , NOA, Cotabato, Philippines

Job title:                                             Social Norms / Behavior Change Analyst 

Level:                                                   NOA

Position Number:                              226939

Location:                                           Cotabato, Philippines      

Full/Part time:                                    Full-Time

Fixed term/Temporary:                     Fixed term

Rotational/Non-Rotational:              Non-Rotational

Duration:                                            One year (initially)

The Position:

The Social Norms Change Analyst will contribute to shaping and implementing the UNFPA strategic approach to mainstreaming gender-transformative and human rights-based approaches into UNFPA’s programming in Mindanao covering the humanitarian - development - peacebuilding (HDP) continuum, with priority and primary focus on the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). This will be done with a particular focus on generating and utilizing evidence to inform decision-makers and policies that drive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and shift discriminatory gender and social norms that limit women's and girls’ rights and access to services. 

Based in Cotabato, the Social Norms Change Analyst will play a key role in identifying, supporting, and advocating for multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral partnerships for policy development, implementation, and evaluation of gender- transformative and human rights-based interventions in Sexual Reproductive Health and Right (SRHR), gender-based violence (GBV) and child, early, forced marriages and unions (CEFMU) prevention in Mindanao and BARMM.      

The Analyst will coordinate closely with the national Gender/GBV Analyst, Social Norms Change Analyst, SRH Analysts, CSE In and Out-of-School Analyst, Monitoring and Evaluation Analysts, and UNFPA personnel across the country, to ensure that gender-transformative approaches, including the prevention and response to CEFMU, adolescent pregnancy and gender-based violence, are effectively integrated into policies, programs, and initiatives. The Social Norms Change Analyst will report directly to the Head of Sub-Office in Cotabato and will work in close coordination with the Gender/GBV Team Leads at the UNFPA Philippines Country Office (CO) and at the UNFPA Cotabato Sub-Office.

How you can make a difference:

In the Philippines, UNFPA is implementing its five-year 9th Country Programme 2024- 2028. The 9th CP is tightly aligned with the mid- and long-term development goals of the Philippines and Ambisyon Natin 2040, as well as the global Agenda 2030 including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Job Purpose:

The Social Norms Change Analyst will contribute to mainstreaming gender-transformative and human rights-based approaches into UNFPA’s programmatic work across the humanitarian - development - peacebuilding continuum in Mindanao, especially in  BARMM, with a particular focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and eliminating discriminatory social and gender norms that limit women and girls' rights and access to services from an intersectional approach (recognizing intersections among age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, religion, ability, etc.).               

This role will support the development and implementation of evidence-based policies and programs that address gender and social norms as critical barriers to reduce child, early, and forced marriage and unions (CEFMU), adolescent pregnancies, gender based violence (GBV) and other harmful practices, and to promote women and girls’ agency and decision-making, family planning, maternal and newborn health and gender equality, and use of population data at national and subnational levels to inform policies and programmes that unlock and maximize the Philippines’ and the BARMM’s demographic and gender dividends. 

The Social Norms Change Analyst will play a contributing role in strengthening multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral partnerships for advocacy, policy development, implementation, and evaluation of gender-transformative and human rights-based interventions in SRHR, GBV and CEFMU prevention. This includes close collaboration with government agencies, civil society organizations, and humanitarian and development partners to ensure locally responsive and sustainable approaches that address the root causes of harmful gender norms, particularly those that sustain CEFMU and gender-based violence, and harness the country’s and BARMM’s demographic and gender dividends. 

As a contributor to the Programme Team, the Social Norms Change Analyst will ensure that gender and social norms change strategies—particularly those tackling CEFMU, GBV, adolescent pregnancy and HIV—are effectively integrated into UNFPA programming and that field-level experiences inform national policies and frameworks, promoting an intersectional approach.

A. Programme Management and Coordination

• Supporting the coordination of  the results-based planning, timely and effective implementation, monitoring, and reporting of UNFPA Gender and Social Norms programmes, components or interventions in the Sub-Office, whether stand-alone UNFPA programmes or in the context of joint programming with other agencies, ensuring alignment with the UNFPA Country Programme and UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and responsiveness to the national/local sectoral plans and priorities.
• Supporting the Sub-Office’s contextualization of the UNFPA CO Strategy on Transformation of Social and Gender Norms to accelerate results in the implementation of the Country Programme particularly in BARMM, in close collaboration with the different units and projects. 
• Contributing to the innovation, knowledge sharing, and replication of good practices across Gender and GBV prevention and response partners across sectors and across contexts, e.g. through South-to-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC). 
• Facilitating the specific interventions on social and gender norms change led by the Sub-Office, in close coordination with the CO. 

B. Technical Support and Capacity Building

• Providing technical and policy advisory research and analysis on gender equality and women’s human rights within the context of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and GBV and harmful practices in Mindanao particularly in BARMM, working closely with UNFPA national and sub-national teams, government agencies, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to advance gender-transformative approaches in alignment with the Country Programme. 
• Coordinating the generation, synthesis, and application of evidence to integrate gender- transformative approaches into national and subnational policies, programs, and interventions particularly in BARMM, ensuring they are culturally and politically responsive and effectively address discriminatory gender and social norms affecting women and girls, including those perpetuating child, early, and forced marriage and unions (CEFMU), adolescent pregnancy and gender-based violence.
• Supporting the design, adaptation, and expansion of evidence-based and data-driven interventions, tools, and programs that are tailored to diverse contexts, in close coordination with UNFPA national and field teams, to inform national and local policies and address gender inequalities and harmful practices such as CEFMU and gender-based violence (GBV), ensuring that social and behavior change initiatives are grounded in research and evidence and contribute meaningfully to advancing the SRHR of women and adolescent girls, while also promoting positive masculinities and addressing patriarchal norms that contribute to gender inequality through culturally relevant and community-driven approaches.
• Documenting and synthesizing evidence on social and gender norms change to inform future programming, while facilitating knowledge-sharing mechanisms and platforms at national and subnational levels
• Consolidating, researching and analysing the existing assessments on Gender and Social Norms in BARMM, including the political, social, economic, and cultural environment, and identifying opportunities for UNFPA assistance and intervention, including supporting BARMM to unlock and maximize its gender dividend.
• Providing technical support and research to the development of relevant advocacy and policy documents to address Gender-related issues and gender inequalities, strengthening programming for the prevention and response to GBV and other harmful practices such as child, early, forced marriages and unions (CEFMU), and harnessing the gender dividend.
• Facilitating, the implementation of capacity building initiatives on gender transformative approaches, strengthening the skills of UNFPA personnel, national partners, local government units (LGUs), community-based organizations, and implementing partners to advance women and girls’ decision-making, bodily autonomy, and protection from harmful gender norms.

C. Partnerships, Advocacy and Resource Mobilisation 

• Supporting the partnerships with key stakeholders, including national and local women’s organizations, advancing gender-transformative policies and programs and influence policy development and legislative reform.
• Supporting CO advocacy initiatives to promote gender transformative legislation and policies in BARMM. 
• Capturing and documenting best practices, success stories, and lessons learned from UNFPA’s interventions, with a focus on improving community access to SRH services, strengthening GBV response and reintegration efforts, and preventing CEFMU and adolescent pregnancy through policy-oriented and community-led approaches.

D. Management responsibilities

• Maintaining regular communication, coordination and consultation with the Head of the Sub-Office, programme and operations team from the UNFPA Country Office and the Cotabato Sub-Office, especially with the Gender and GBV Teams.
• Contributing to and supporting the activities of the relevant sub-national, national, regional, and/or global Gender and GBV-related communities of practice of UNFPA. 

Qualifications and Experience 

Education: 

Advanced university degree in a field of study relevant to UNFPA’s mandate, such as sociology, anthropology, social sciences, women’s studies, public health, public administration, international relations, international development, law or other related fields, with a focus on social and gender norms change.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• No minimum experience requirement, however, up to two years of relevant work experience in advocacy for gender and social norms change in legislation, public policies and programmes is desirable. 
• Experience providing technical support in the development and/or implementation of gender transformative approaches at the national or sub-national level is desirable.     
• Experience in working on gender-based violence prevention and response in both ‘normal’ and humanitarian settings is an advantage.
• Prior experience on developing, implementing and monitoring work plans is an advantage.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills is required.

Languages: 

• Fluency in oral and written English and Filipino is essential, with ability to write clearly and concisely and to compose correspondence and documents in both languages.
• Knowledge of local language in UNFPA target states and regions, particularly of any of the major local dialects in BARMM, is an asset.

Required Competencies 

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of equality, diversity, integrity, and healthy work life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply.

Appointment, Compensation and Benefits:

The initial fixed-term appointment of a staff member shall be for a period of one year. A fixed-term appointment may be renewed, subject to satisfactory service. A fixed-term appointment does not carry any expectancy, legal or otherwise, of renewal or conversion, irrespective of the length of service. 

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

Disclaimer: 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Fraudulent notices, letters or offers may be submitted to the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm

Persons applying to positions in the 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.