UNICEF Consultancy - Coordinate KAP Study on Child Marriage Jobs in South Sudan

UNICEF Consultancy - Coordinate KAP Study on Child Marriage Jobs in South Sudan

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Background/Rationale for the Assignment

Child marriage is defined as a marriage of a girl or a boy before the age of 18 and refers to both formal marriages and informal unions.

Child marriage often compromises a girl’s development by resulting in early pregnancy and social isolation, interrupting her schooling, limiting her opportunities for career and vocational advancement and placing her at increased risk of domestic violence.

Child marriage also affects boys, but to a lesser degree than girls. Girls married under the age of 18 are more likely to face sexual and reproductive health related problems; have lower levels of education, thus higher rates of illiteracy; experience violence, abuse and forced sexual relations; have limited opportunities for employment, which corresponds to high risk of poverty; have restricted access to legal support and experience psycho-social problems.

In South Sudan It is estimated that approximately 52 per cent of girls were married or in union before they were 18 years of age and 9 per cent were married when they were under 15 years of age.

Nearly 31 per cent of women aged 15-19 years had already begun child-bearing. Child marriages are becoming more common during this protracted crisis and represent one of the coping mechanisms of the poor and marginalized families and go together with widespread insecurity, existing gender inequalities, patriarchal values and general low value of girls compared to boys.

Purpose & Expected Results

Primarily, the purpose of the study is to generate a reliable evidence on drivers and enablers, social norms that contribute and shape knowledge, attitudes and practices

related to child marriage at the local level. Specifically, the study intends to achieve the following key results:

Conduct a desk-review of available documents, reports and/or studies on child marriage in South Sudan and summarize key findings;

Explore existing legal framework and policy documents related to the issue of child marriage, identify (pre-existing) scope and (different) practices in selected geographical locations;

Identify key compelling/contributing factors towards the practice of child marriages, including social norms, values and beliefs, cultural practices and economic factors that trigger and sustain the practice of child marriage (with clear disaggregation according to the geographical location);

Explore health and personal development associated impacts of child marriage and child/teenage pregnancies on girls and their new-borns;

Explore current knowledge, attitudes and practices related to child marriage at household, family and community setting;

Identify and assess the availability and quality of services, including any referral/response mechanisms currently in place to address the issue of child marriage;

Inform key aspects of UNICEF cross-sectoral programme to address Child Marriage, including activities for girls’ empowerment, engaging men and boys, community mobilization, and advocacy activities at local, sub-national and national level.

Provide key recommendations to address the issue of Child Marriage in South Sudan that should include different roles and responsibilities of governmental actors, UN agencies and (I)NGOs and cross-sectoral activities covering the area of education, child protection, WASH, health, nutrition and C4D;

Qualifications and Competencies

Advance Degree in the Social Sciences/ Public Health.

Minimum 5 years’ experience in conducting sociological and communication research in South Sudan.

Previous experience in behavioural/cultural/communication research will be a strong asset.

Previous experience with UNICEF with demonstrated successful performance record is an asset.

Fluency in English is required, and knowledge of Arabic or another local language of the duty station is an asset

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should apply online by 19th July 2019

For more information and job application details, see; UNICEF Consultancy - Coordinate KAP Study on Child Marriage Jobs in South Sudan