Background:
UNHCR policies and programming on education align with the Sustainable Development Goals, with their focus on equity and inclusion, UNHCR’s Age Gender & Diversity policy which includes gender equality, as well as the Revised Commitments to Women and Girls that will be launched in 2017 and include a specific commitment to increasing equitable access to education.
Refugees are five times more likely to be out of school than non-refugee children. Of the 16 million refugees under UNHCR’s mandate, 6 million are of school-going age between 5 and 17 years. Access to education for this marginalized group is limited. At least 3.2 million refugee children and adolescents remain out-of-school. Despite notable achievements in educational access and quality over the past years, particularly at primary level, the number of refugee children affected by short- and long-term crisis situations remains significant. Only 1 in 2 refugee children are enrolled in primary school, and 1 in 4 are enrolled in secondary school. The participation of refugees in higher education is even lower, meaning that only 1% of refugees have access to university compared to 34% worldwide.
Refugee girls are at a disadvantage in accessing education. They are less likely than their male peers to finish primary education and make the transition into, and complete, secondary education. At the global level, for every ten refugee boys in primary school there are fewer than eight refugee girls; at secondary school level, the figure is worse, with fewer than seven girls for every ten boys in school. At the higher education level there are great regional variations. While worldwide more women than men are enrolled at university, the situation in Sub-Saharan Africa is different where as few as 8 women for every 10 men are enrolled in tertiary education. Within UNHCRs scholarship programme (DAFI) female students represent 44% of the total students. However, the number varies greatly from country to country.
Refugee girls face specific barriers to accessing education. Protection risks such as child and forced marriage and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy, and reduced social interaction outside the home, all contribute to unequal access to education, as do gender inequality, financial insecurity and inadequate access to sexual and reproductive health, including inadequate menstrual hygiene management. Girls with disabilities and young mothers face additional challenges in accessing education, linked to cultural norms and stigmas as well as the lack of adequate transportation, infrastructure, childcare and adapted curricula.
Global research has shown that girls’ education has strong positive impacts on economic and social development of families, communities and society in general, especially when girls obtain a secondary education. Girls’ education:
Increases economic growth: In countries where access to education is equal for girls and boys, the per capita income is 23% higher.
Improves women’s wages and employment opportunities, with higher levels of education having higher returns.
Saves the lives of children: If all women received primary education there would be a 15% reduction in child deaths from pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria, and if all women received secondary education, there would be a 49% reduction.
Results in healthier and better-educated children: Mothers living in poverty who complete primary school are 4% more likely to provide their children with nutrition that ensures their growth will not be stunted and if mothers completed secondary education the percentage rises to 26%.
Reduces rates of child marriage: There would be 14% fewer child marriages if all girls completed primary education and 64% fewer early marriages if all young women completed secondary education.
Empowers women, increases gender equality and promotes women’s political leadership.
Overall Purpose and Scope of Assignment:UNHCR strives to ensure that equal opportunities are given to refugee girls and boys to access all levels of formal education (primary, secondary and tertiary)
Objectives:
In collaboration with refugee communities, UNHCR Education Partners, Education, SGBV, Gender Equality and Child Protection stakeholders and UNHCR country teams:
Collect primary and secondary data on primary, secondary and tertiary education enrolment, attendance, retention and completion for girls and boys in school, and transition rates to secondary and tertiary education as well as number of applications for tertiary programmes.
Identify reasons for lower number of attendance, retention, completion rates and applications (tertiary education) at all levels as well as reasons for sparse transitions to post primary education, analyzing challenges and bottlenecks to girls’ education holistically, including demand and supply barriers in schools and in the community, such as: learning facilities, teachers, availability and accessibility of schools, cultural and social factors including community perceptions around girls education, rates of child and early marriage and other forms of SGBV, domestic and child labour, and other protection risks previously listed.
Identify existing successful programming approaches that support girls’ retention and completion in the whole continuum of formal education, including:
UNHCR and partner programming in refugee and host communities.
Programmes implemented in the host community/host country by the government, civil society and/or development partners. Some examples might include peer-to-peer and mentoring support, community-engagement and community awareness, female teacher support, cash interventions, etc.
Provide concrete pragmatic recommendations for improved girls’ education programming to increase female enrollment, attendance, retention and completion, and increased transition to secondary education and consequently increased number of eligible applications from female candidates for tertiary education, along with operational plans.
Develop an assessment tool (checklist with key questions and guidance on collecting information) for education programming, to identify areas for improving girls’ participation in education.
Identify stories and/or good practices of students, families and communities towards girls’ education.
Monitoring and Progress Controls (report requirements, periodicity, format, deadlines):
a. The final product (e.g., survey completed, data collected, workshop conducted, research documents produced specify):
Desk/Documentary review and secondary data analysis;
Annotated bibliography; 5-10 page summary of existing literature on girls’ participation in education; 5-page summary of existing UNHCR and other primary data analysis.
Methodology for primary research collection – including secondary data review, survey with UNHCR staff and partners, semi – structured interviews, focus group discussion, development of questionnaire –and criteria to determine successful programming and/or good practice.
5 – 10 page final country reports
Checklist and how-to-toolkit
Global recommendations on improved education enrolment, attendance, retention and completion rates for girls and young women.
Webinar to explain research findings and recommendations for field and headquarters colleagues
b. Delivery Periodicity, as applicable: 31.12.2017
c. Work on the basis of time employed: Yes
d. If it is to result in a written product specify:
i. Number of pages: 20 pages
ii. Language(s): English
iii. Number of copies: 1
Qualifications and Experience:
Education
Basic university degree in education, social sciences or related field and relevant work experience of between 8 and 12 years or between 6 and 10 years work experience with a post graduate university degree.
Job Experience
Education in crisis & conflict settings;
Gender equality and girls’ education;
Community development and the empowerment of women;
Conducting desk as well as participatory field research.
International and field experience highly desirable.
Competencies
Proven ability to deal with multiple tasks in a courteous and service oriented manner under demanding working conditions that often have short deadlines.
Good communicator with strong interpersonal skills to deal with persons of different cultural and educational backgrounds.
Excellent computer skills and knowledge of MS applications.
Excellent knowledge of English (written/oral/comprehension) with well-developed writing and presentation skills.
Language
Excellent knowledge of English (written/oral/comprehension) with well-developed writing and presentation skills. Knowledge of French an asset.
Location:
Nairobi

Interested applicants should submit:Interested applicants should submit their letter of motivation and Personal History Form (P11), including testimonials/degrees/certificates to HQDIPVAC@unhcr.org indicating “Education Gender Consultant” DIP/EDU/018/2017 in the subject of the email latest 30 June 2017. P11 forms are available on www.unhcr.org/recruit/p11new.doc

Apply via :

HQDIPVAC@unhcr.org