In its Phase III, the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation will strongly pursue an approach that will capitalize on ongoing continental, regional and sub-regional opportunities and initiatives to be able to ensure efforts are well articulated and coordinated across all levels. Linking the evidence base being generated at community and national level with political advocacy for sustainable change and commitment to eliminating Female Genital Mutilation at continental level will be given due attention and focus.

The African Union Commission (AUC) has an important role to play in intensifying and galvanizing the ongoing initiatives to eliminate the practice of Female Genital Mutilation at continental, regional and country levels. By the very fact that most of the Female Genital Mutilation high prevalence countries are within the region, AUC is a strategic political space and opportunity to positively influence the process at different levels.

Hence UNFPA is recruiting a consultant to be stationed within the Liaison Office and seconded to the African Union Commission to provide all the required support and technical assistance in effectively and timely delivering the African Union’s Saleema Initiative on Eliminating Female Genital Mutilation, with funding from the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation: Accelerating Change.

The purpose of the consultancy is to support the Youth, Women, Civil Society and Private Sector Fora of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).

UN in support of peace and security in the Great Lakes Region is an EU-funded Programme with the overall objective to promote ongoing peacebuilding and consolidation efforts in the African Great Lakes Region, in support of ICGLR. It is implemented jointly by the UN (through UNDP, UN Women, UNFPA and the Office of the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), in coordination with ICGLR. The three overall outcomes of the project are:

Outcome 1: The ICGLR Peace and Security Programme is strengthened.
Outcome 2: Control of the exploitation of selected mineral resources (tungsten, tin, tantalum and gold) is enhanced.
Outcome 3: The provisions of the Protocol on Prevention and Suppression of Sexual Violence Against Women and Children are effectively applied in the Great Lakes Region.

UNFPA is responsible for activities under Outcome 1, i.e. “A1.5 Support for the participation of the ICGLR Fora (multifunctional Youth Forum, Women Forum, Civil Society Forum and Private Sector Forum) in the ICGLR consultative process”. The activities are implemented during 2019-2020.

UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a joint strategic engagement between the two Agencies since 2008. The Joint Programme aims to protect girls and women by accelerating abandonment of FGM and also providing care for its consequences for those who are already subjected to the practice. The programme will also support initiatives which have served to amplify efforts to position the issue of FGM high on the international Agenda.