Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Programme Officer, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Programme Officer, Harare, Zimbabwe

General

Description of assignment title: Gender-Based Violence(GBV) Programme Officer

Assignment country: Zimbabwe

Duty stations: Harare

Work location: On UN premises

Expected start date: 08/01/2026

Duration: 12 months(with possibility ofextension)Long-term benefits and allowances

Sustainable Development Goal: 5. Gender equality

Host entity: UNFPA

Modality: Onsite

Type: National

Volunteer category: Expert UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule: Full-time

Number of Assignments: 1

Details

Mission and objectives:

• The overall vision of the UNFPA Zimbabwe 8th country programmeis to improve the health and well-being of women, young people andvulnerable and marginalized groups in Zimbabwe by ensuringuniversal access to high-quality integrated SRHR information andservices in an enabling environment. This will contribute to theachievement of the three transformative results of UNFPA: zerounmet need for family planning; zero preventable maternal deaths;zero gender-based violence. It will also support the East andSouthern Africa regional priority of ending sexual transmission ofHIV. The country programme further aims to reduce the unmet needfor family planning for married women aged 15-19 years (from 12.6per cent to 10 per cent).

Context:

• The UNFPA Zimbabwe Gender programme supports efficient andeffective GBV risk mitigation, prevention and response systems, andensures availability and accessibility of essential multi sectoralGBV services, especially for girls and women, including inhumanitarian settings. Specific interventions include: (a) advocacyfor the development and implementation of gender responsivelegislation, policy guidelines and strategies, and improved fundingfor reducing GBV; (b) improve knowledge of women and girls on lifeskills, gender-equitable norms, attitudes and behaviours, includingsexuality and reproduction, self-confidence and self-esteem, andtheir capacity to adequately access GBV services; (c) enhance thecapacity of national and subnational partners on GBV in emergenciespreparedness; (d) support male engagement interventions on positivemasculinities for the active involvement of men and boys to preventand address gender-based violence; (e) strengthen the capacities ofcommunities to ensure gender equality and increase the agency ofwomen and girls; (f) strengthen the integrated essential servicespackage on GBV within the health, judicial and other sectors,including 'one-stop centres', community shelters and safe spaces;(g) scale-up mobile and remote GBV essential service provisionmodels in remote and hard-to-reach areas; and (h) scale-uppartnership and coordination and cooperation with the Government,United Nations agencies and other key stakeholders for jointprogramming and improved coordination to address gender-basedviolence and early marriage.

Task description:

• Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of theTechnical Specialist Gender, Gender-Based Violence (GBV), andHumanitarian Response or his/her designated mandatedrepresentative(s), the UN Volunteer (UNV) GBV Programme Officerwill:
• A. Technical support, institutional capacity building, andsupport programme management
• Assume assigned responsibility for the implementation of GBVprogramme interventions and ensure compliance with project donoragreements.
• Provide technical support to the Ministry of Women Affairs,Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MWACSMED) onGBV service provision, GBV coordination, and implementation of theGBV Information Management System (GBVIMS).
• Provide technical assistance and oversight for the developmentof the GBV Case Management curriculum.
• Support capacity building of United Nations Population Fund(UNFPA ) partners on GBV prevention and response, including GBV inEmergencies and GBV Case Management.
• Ensure activities contribute towards the achievement ofexpected results, outputs, and activities in accordance with theannual work plan.
• Ensure that all planned activities are implemented on time andwithin budget as per the quarterly plan.
• Compile and prepare quality monthly and periodic projectprogress reports, as well as the final annual report, and provideother information as required by UNFPA and MWACSMED.
• Support the Ministry and UNFPA Country Office during planningand implementation of advocacy and communication activities,including commemoration of the international specific days relatedto gender equality, women's rights, and GBV.
• Help identify and ensure integration of gender needs andconcerns into the Sexual and Reproductive Health, and Populationand Development Components.
• Ensure strong visibility of the UNFPA-supported programsimplemented.
• Participate in the development and production of communicationmaterials (leaflets, posters, brochures) to raise awareness on GBVand outreach to the community.
• Coordinate and facilitate project team meetings, includingagenda preparation, documentation of meeting discussions, andfollow-up on items.
• Specifically support the Ministry to generate and analyzeconsistent data and ensure dissemination of reports generated fromthe collected data.
• Carry out other activities as requested by the Gender Unit andthe Country Office, and in support of the Ministry's National GBVProgramme.
• B. Advocacy and Resource mobilisation
• Contribute to advocacy and resource mobilisation efforts of theGender Unit as well as the Country Office by preparing relevantdocumentation (e.g., project summaries, conference papers,speeches, donor profiles) and participating in donor meetings andpublic information events.
• Develop factsheets, briefing materials, infographics, andpresentations for public information, advocacy, and resourcemobilisation purposes.
  C. Knowledge Management, Data, and Evidence
• Support the strengthening of GBV administrative data managementincluding the establishment of a national GBV database.
• Develop knowledge products that facilitate learning amongimplementing partners (IPs), government, and otherstakeholders.
• Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by thesupervisor.
• Results/expected outputs:
• As an active UNFPA Zimbabwe team member, provide efficient,timely, responsive, client-friendly, and high-quality support toUNFPA Zimbabwe and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment ofher/his functions, including:
• The GBV Programme Officer will contribute to the Gender Unit'sefforts to support the government of Zimbabwe to provide efficientand effective GBV risk mitigation, prevention, and responsesystems, and ensure availability and accessibility of essentialmultisectoral GBV services, especially for girls and women,including in humanitarian settings. The incumbent will support theGender Programme and work closely with the UNFPA Country Officeteam, government implementing partners, UN agencies, anddevelopment partners to strengthen timely, quality, andwell-coordinated GBV prevention and response as well as empowerwomen and girls. This will encompass legal and policy review,service protocol development, training and capacity building, andthe development and dissemination of best practice guidelines andtechnical materials. The incumbent will also work closely withUNFPA teams for the integration of GBV into youth and sexualreproductive health programming as relevant.
• Age, Gender, and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematicallyapplied, integrated, and documented in all activities throughoutthe assignment.
• A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism forpeace and development during the assignment, such as reporting onthe number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in, andcapacities developed.

Eligibility criteria

Age: 18 - 80

Required experience: 7 years

Nationality: Candidate must be a national, legal residentor hold refugee status in the country of assignment.

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience:

• 7 years

Languages:

• English, Level: Fluent, Required
• Shona, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable
• Sindebele, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable

Required education level:

• Bachelor's degree in Social work or other social sciences,law/international law, development studies, or related field

Competencies and values:

• â— Professionalism: demonstrated understanding ofoperations relevant to UNFPA Zimbabwe; technical capabilities orknowledge relevant or transferrable to UNFPA Zimbabwe proceduresand rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact todeal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability toliaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especiallyin senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy,personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulnessand willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to workindependently under established procedures; ability to manageinformation objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsiveand client-oriented;
• â— Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethicalstandards of the UN and UNFPA Zimbabwe in daily activities andbehaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains;resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand bydecisions that are in the organization's interest even if they areunpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional orunethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority;
• â— Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability tooperate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellentinterpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effectivepartnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural,multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respectfor diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender,religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goalof gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and fullinvolvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations;ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training tocolleagues;
• â— Commitment to continuous learning: initiativeand willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of newdevelopments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes inwork environment.
• â— Planning and organizing: effectiveorganizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage alarge volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability toestablish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own)work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines,and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;
• â— Communication: proven interpersonal skills; goodspoken and written communication skills, including ability toprepare clear and concise reports; ability to conductpresentations, articulate options and positions concisely; abilityto make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate andempathize with staff (including national staff), militarypersonnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors comingfrom very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information andknowledge to a wide range of different target groups;
• â— Flexibility: adaptability and ability to liveand work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involvingphysical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently inaustere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travelwithin the area of operations and to transfer to other dutystations within the area of operations as necessary;
• â— Genuine commitment towards the principles ofvoluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion,reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNFPAZimbabwe's mission and vision, as well as to the UN CoreValues.

Skills and experience:

• â— At least seven (7) years of professional workexperience at the national and/or international level in Gender andGBV, social science, or other relevant programmes; experience withGBV is an asset, as is experience working in the UN or other inother International Organisations
• â— Knowledge and experience working in gender andGBV issues including GBV health system strengthening work,including working with national and provincial health sectors andrelevant international human rights standards and mechanisms;
• â— Experience designing and leading training andcapacity building initiatives.
• â— Familiar with GBV international tools, standardsand guidelines such as the Essential Services Package for Women andGirls Subject to Violence; GBV in Emergencies
• â— Excellent oral and written skills; excellentdrafting, formulation, reporting skills;
• â— Accuracy and professionalism in documentproduction and editing;
• â— Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally andsocially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaborativelywith a range of partners, including grassroots community members,religious and youth organizations, and authorities at differentlevels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications fordevelopment;
• â— Ability to work and adapt professionally andeffectively in a challenging environment; ability to workeffectively in a multicultural team of international and nationalpersonnel;
• â— Solid overall computer literacy, includingproficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.)and email/internet; familiarity with database management; andoffice technology equipment;
• â— Self-motivated, ability to work with minimumsupervision; ability to work with tight deadlines;
• â— Have affinity with or interest in SRHR/GBV,volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UNSystem.

Area(s) of expertise:

• Community development, Project management, programmedevelopment, strategy, Disability, other social inclusionaspects

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