Communications and Advocacy Assistant

About United Nations volunteers

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers.

In

most cultures, volunteerism is deeply embedded in long-established, ancient

traditions of sharing and support within the communities. In this context, UN

Volunteers take part in various forms of volunteerism and play a role in

development and peace together with co-workers, host agencies and local

communities.

In

all assignments, UN Volunteers promote volunteerism through their action and

conduct. Engaging in volunteer activity can effectively and positively enrich

their understanding of local and social realities, as well as create a bridge

between themselves and the people in their host community. This will make the

time they spend as UN Volunteers even more rewarding and productive.

Job Summary

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s new Strategic Plan (2022-2025) focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction. Since the August 2021 events in Afghanistan, UNFPA has seen an expansion of our program in all the regions in the country. This expansion comes at a time when there is a high level of sensitivity on many issues including UNFPA’s mandate areas of sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence. At such a time, there is great need to amplify the benefits of UNFPA’s work in the region and to also strengthen our advocacy. For this purpose, the Communications and Advocacy Assistant will support the UNFPA field office in Jalalabad in in advocacy on our mandate and strengthen visibility of UNFPA’s work on the ground through gathering of human-interest stories, photos and videos; documentation of key activities; providing technical assistance to implementing partners on communications; working with local media; and other related tasks. The youth UNV will play a critical role in ensuring the appropriateness and sensitivity of communication activities conducted in the field to safeguard the safety and dignity of beneficiaries as well as the continuity of UNFPA’s humanitarian response in the ongoing crisis.

Duties & Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Field Area Officers and with oversight of the Communications Specialist, the Communications and Advocacy Assistant will undertake the following:

• Develop compelling human interest stories that demonstrate the result of UNFPA’s work in the area of sexual and reproductive health, youth and GBV in their respective regions.

• Ensure coverage for all UNFPA related activities, as necessary, and share materials and reports, including human interest stories, with the Communications Unit in the Kabul office for use in external communications platforms such as websites, social media and donor reports. Such activities may include special events, distribution of RH Kits, Dignity Kits and other supplies, and similar activities.

• Develop content for UNFPA’s social media accounts by gathering powerful stories, photos, quotes, short videos, and other appropriate materials and share with the Communications Unit in Kabul Office.

• Provide inputs and work with the regional team in the development of relevant advocacy and policy documents for the region to advance UNFPA’s mandate.

• Identify advocacy platforms that can be used by UNFPA to advance its mandate, such as special events, commemoration of international days, etc., and ensure media coverage as necessary and appropriate.

• Maintain a photo and video library that contain all information about the files (e.g., date photo/video was taken, location, details about the subject (name, age, locality, as appropriate) and a short caption describing the image/video.

• Generate content for the Safe Birth Even Here website on a regular basis.

• Support the area field officer in developing regional situation reports on a bi-monthly basis by ensuring completeness and clarity of information before they are submitted to the Country Office in Kabul.

• Support UNFPA missions in the region with documentation of mission highlights and shared with the Communications Unit in the Kabul Office for dissemination.

• To the extent possible, organise young women in the region and build their capacity to become communication champions for UNFPA’s mandate.

• Any other tasks as may be assigned by the Country Representative.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);

• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;

• Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.

• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;

• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;

• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Job Requirements

2 years of experience in communications and advocacy, preferably in a humanitarian context.

• Experience working with the media is desirable.

• Awareness and demonstrable knowledge of UNFPA mandate areas is an added advantage.

• Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply

Submission Guideline

Applicants need to register their profile within UNV Talent Pool to be able to apply, see more instructions below:

1. Not yet

registered in the UNV Talent Pool? Please follow below instruction to register

your profile:

· Go to https://app.unv.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer"

target="_blank" style="color: rgb(4, 123, 222);">https://app.unv.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer"

target="_blank" style="color: rgb(4, 123, 222);">https://app.unv.org  

· Click log in/sign up

or click ‘apply’ on a DoA.

· Click ‘sign up now’

· Follow on screen

instructions to verify email address. Create a password. Enter first name and

last name, date of birth and gender.

· Click tick box to

confirm acceptance of ‘Terms and conditions’

· Click ‘create’

2.  Already

registered in the UNV Talent Pool? Please click on the vacancy link above to

apply.

Vacancy Link: https://app.unv.org/opportunities/1694922602180864

Functional Area

Communication

Countries

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