Gender and Health Programing Researcher (Consultant)

Introduction

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity, and hope to millions uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

In 2007, the IRC began providing humanitarian assistance to vulnerable and crisis-affected people in Jordan in response to an influx of Iraqi refugees and the strain on host communities. Following the eruption of the Syrian war in 2011, hundreds of thousands of refugees crossed into Jordan.

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Background

Improving access to sexual and reproductive health remains a public health challenge. Women commonly face inequalities in accessing health services, particularly Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (RMNCH) services, at different stages of their lives, from adolescence to menopause and beyond. This is particularly the case for women of reproductive age in displacement, where they face additional barriers to accessing Maternal and Child Health care services, and are at increased risk of poor SRH outcomes due to reduced access to services and supplies. Globally, 32 million women and girls of reproductive age (i.e., 15–49 years) are living in humanitarian crisis situations and may face different challenges in accessing quality RMNCH service.

Jordan hosts 629,000 Syrian refugees. Approximately 30% of the Syrian refugees reside in camps; 120,000 Syrian refugees are still residing in two camps: Zaatari and Azraq. Syrian people living in Jordan face unprecedented challenges with regard to their sexual and reproductive health. The humanitarian crisis has caused young girls to become increasingly vulnerable to poor sexual and maternal outcomes, such as early pregnancy, child marriage, gender-based violence, and sexual assault, as a result of changing economic pressures, community dynamics, and social norms.

Syrian refugees in Jordan may have adequate access to RMNCH services. However, inequalities persist. A 2013 study found evidence of severe supply and demand side barriers in camp settings. A recent national survey found that women who live inside camps are less likely to use contraception than those who live outside camps (41% versus 51%).

Women in the Zaatari and Azraq camps encounter various challenges when seeking RMNCH services like the considerable distance between sites and the absence of transportation, gender norms that restrict their movement, unintended or unwanted pregnancies, repeated sexually transmitted diseases because of low hygiene, and the complications related to unsafe abortions.

Evidence suggests that incorporating a gender-responsive approach into health programs leads to better outcomes. To improve health outcomes and promote gender equality, all sexual and reproductive health initiatives should strive to be gender-sensitive. Despite the importance of gender in crafting the camp-based Syrian refugees’ attitudes towards reproductive and maternal health and behaviours in utilising RMNCH services, this issue has not been overarching studied within the context of the camps.

Scope of work:

The IRC Jordan has been working to do a study that strives to rigorously conduct a gender analysis to understand the existing social and gender norms, roles, and relations among Syrian refugees in the camps and examine the Syrian women’s experience in using maternal and child healthcare service at IRC supported health clinics.

We are seeking health and gender researchers to participate in our study on GBV and SRH and gender dynamics within RMNCH services for Syrian refugees in Zaatari and Azraq camps, for a six-month-long period starting from April 2024.

Responsibilities:

1.              Collaborate with the team in the development of research protocols and methodologies, integrating SRH services and gender dynamics perspectives to explore access to and utilization of RMNCH services among Syrian refugees.

2.              Conduct the data analysis to identify how social norms, power dynamics, and cultural beliefs intersect to form healthcare-seeking behaviors, GBV prevalence, and SRH outcomes.

3.              Provide training and technical support to the research team and enumerators who are involved in data collection, emphasizing ethical principles and sensitivity to GBV and SRH issues.

4.              Translate research findings into actionable recommendations for healthcare providers, health management, and humanitarian agencies to improve the delivery of GBV prevention, SRH services, and RMNCH care for Syrian refugees.

5.              Engage in advocacy efforts to raise awareness of gender-related barriers to healthcare access, GBV prevention, and SRH promotion, and promote policy changes that prioritize the needs of marginalized populations.