The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action.
For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated.
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There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.
Violence against children remains a critical challenge facing South African society today, despite tremendous efforts to curb this scourge. The legacy of violence and extreme inequality from South Africa’s past is compounded by high poverty and unemployment in the present. This combination places many children at risk of domestic violence, substance abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. The scale of violence in South Africa alone is deeply worrying. Perhaps more concerning is how violence has become normalised in everyday life; weaving abuse and neglect into the country’s societal fabric.
| Employer | UNICEF |
| Host Nation | South Africa |
| Official Website | https://www.unicef.org/ |
| Closing Date | 02 April 2023 |
| Eligible Candidate | Degree |
How can you make a difference?
The Child Protection Officer reports, Child Protection Manager for supervision. The Child Protection Officer provides professional technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the programming process for child protection programmes/projects within the Country Programme from development planning to delivery of results. H/She prepares, executes, manages, and implements a variety of technical and administrative programme tasks to facilitate programme development, implementation, programme progress monitoring, evaluating and reporting.
Key functions/accountabilities:
1. Support to programme development and planning
- Conduct and update the situation analysis for the development, design and management of child protection related programmes/projects. Research and report on development and humanitarian trends () and data for use in programme development, management, monitoring, evaluation and delivery of results.
- Contribute to the development and establishment of sectoral programme goals, objectives, strategies, and results-based planning through research, analysis and reporting of child protection and other related information for development planning and priority and goal setting.
2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
- Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to discuss implementation issues, provide solutions, recommendations and/or to alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level interventions and/or decisions. Keep records of reports and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.
3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation
- Conduct regular programme field visits and surveys and exchange information with partners/stakeholders to assess progress and provide technical support. Take appropriate action to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for resolution. Report on critical issues, bottlenecks and potential problems for timely action to achieve results.
Education
- A university degree in one of the following fields is required: law, human rights, international law
Experience
- A minimum of two years of professional experience on the child justice
- Experience working with Migrants and Refugees is an added advantage
- Relevant experience in programme implementation and advocacy on child justice and children on the move, including refugees
- Experience in working with the government, civil society and academia is an asset
Language Requirements
- Fluency in English is required
