Gender-based Violence Case Manager

Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

The UN Women MCO-Caribbean covers 22 countries and territories in the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean. Strides towards gender equality in the countries covered by the MCO have resulted in gains for women and girls in the Caribbean, relating primarily to high education rates and increases in employment rates. However critical gaps and inequalities remain which are further exploited during hazards like COVID-19 and other environmental hazards. Gender equality gaps persist in all aspects of society which put women— especially the most vulnerable of women, at a greater disadvantage as compared to men in terms of their intrinsic human rights, as it pertains to factors including their ability to live in dignity, exercise decision-making, access good economic livelihood opportunities and be free from harm, along with accessing comprehensive health services (including sexual and reproductive health) and social protection systems. 

Despite advances in sexual and reproductive health in the Eastern Caribbean, several challenges remain that restrict full access to quality sexual and reproductive health by women, girls, youth and other vulnerable groups. Legal, social, cultural and economic barriers increase existing issues of unmet need for family planning, high teenage pregnancy, abortions, STIs/HIV, gender-based violence, and weak logistics and supply chain management of reproductive health commodities, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Social protection has been proven to create economic opportunity for women and men, however often women in the Eastern Caribbean, especially the most marginalized, do not fully benefit from robust social protection systems. If governments strengthen their knowledge and abilities in providing childcare, maternity and paternity leave this will ensure that women MSME owners unpaid care responsibilities are met, allowing them more time and more security to innovate and grow their businesses.

Existing data from UN Women’s regional work in social protection and EVAW suggest that many users of social protections and public assistance schemes are survivors of domestic violence, yet many survivors still struggle, or are unaware of how to gain access to the very social protections designed to support them. Increased awareness among women, especially the most marginalised and capacities among those providing social protection services will enhance women’s access to gender responsive social protection. 

Under the UN Women and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Build Back Equal Programme, funded by Global Affairs Canada, UN Women is seeking to hire a suitable qualified individual to support the Gender Division local Gender Machinery in Saint Lucia with case management and referral services for Gender-based violence cases in line with the Essential Services Package.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of UN Women Representative and day to day supervision by the Director of Gender Affairs in the Department of the Public Service, Labour and Gender affairs and BBE Programme Coordinator, the GBV Case Manager will support GBV case management process in the context of the One Stop Centre (once established). This includes supporting daily operations of the GBV referral pathway to ensure it is digitised, functional, shock-responsive and survivor-centred. The individual will also be responsible for GBV data management and analysis.

S/he will also oversee effective integration of services with social protection measures and Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) Services into the Referral Pathway and provide Secretariat services to the Inter-Agency GBV Task Force.

Duties and Responsibilities

Support GBV Case Management in St. Lucia

• Under the guidance of the supervisor provide age-appropriate case management and services to support adult survivors of GBV, and age-appropriate specialized support and care for adolescents and child survivors of GBV.
• Support adherence to a survivor-centred approach that focuses on women, girls and survivors in all activities and services provided, this includes ensuring the confidentiality of survivors, whilst respecting their wishes and decisions.
• Provide support to individual sessions for beneficiaries according to the specified methodology for survivors for each step of the case management processes and related tools with risk assessment, needs assessment, care plans, safety plans and referrals for survivors as required.
• Prepare and submit monthly reports as required in a timely manner, including information related to survivors non-identifying data, treatment provided, follow up visits, referrals to other service providers and awareness activities.
• Support with proper documentation and compilation of GBV case files and incidences in compliance with the Information Management system for gender-based violence programs.

Support coordination with national partners and other stakeholders 

• Support the setting up of the GBV One Stop Centre to ensure better coordination of key service providers.
• Provide secretariat to the Inter-Agency GBV Task Force.
• Communicate and coordinate with other organizations and service providers to ensure smooth and effective referrals in collaboration with the direct supervisor and the GBV Unit team.
• Actively participate in scheduled case management team and Inter-Agency GBV Task Force.

Support monitoring, reporting, data management and analysis

• Support the Department of Gender Affairs & Inter-Agency GBV Task Force with GBV monitoring, reporting, data management and analysis. Reports will be provided periodically with frequency to be agreed at the beginning of contract.
• Support conducting of assessments with key demographics, caregivers, and other stakeholders to identify ongoing concerns, needs, and key opportunities within the GBV referral network.
• Effective and regular communication with the supervisor for updates on challenges and achievements.

Support Capacity Building and Training:

• Support logistics and facilitation of capacity building trainings for GBV referral pathway actors on: Caring for Child Survivors, GBV referral protocols/principles, guiding principles for working with GBV survivors, Clinical Care of Sexual Assault Survivors, Services with Social Protection measures, SRH services, economic resilience and other areas identified in the need’s assessment.
• Assist with logistics and facilitation of GBV trainings for all relevant community actors including training on the Domestic Violence Act (2022).

Support knowledge building, advocacy and communication

• Support integrated media and social media initiatives to raise awareness of GBV and available support services and resources available.
• Provide support to the Ministry’s Communication Officer by furnishing essential content to enhance awareness and comprehension of Gender-Based Violence, ensuring effective communication strategies are employed.

Perform any other duties as assigned.

Key performance indicators

• Timely and quality support to implementation of activities against set workplans, timelines, and budgets.
• Quality and timely reporting.
• Strong relations with partners and stakeholders.
• Regular and timely monitoring of activities.
• Enhanced best practices and lessons learned documented and circulated.

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity;
• Integrity;
• Professionalism.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:

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Functional Competencies:

• Strict confidentiality.
• Strong listening skills.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills, including conveying complex concepts and recommendations in a clear style.
• Ability to interact effectively as part of a team.
• Ability to create and maintain networks and partnerships.
• Ability to operate effectively in stressful situations.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary school education is required.
• A first-level university degree in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, Women Affairs/Gender studies or related field would be an asset.

Experience:

• At least 3 years of work experience in Social Work, Counseling, Psychology or a related field is required.
• At least 2 years’ experience in the direct provision of counseling and psychosocial support to survivors of gender-based violence is desirable.
• Experience with data collection, data management and analysis would be an asset.
• Experience working in the Government or United Nations would be an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required;

Applications:

• This position is subject to service contract conditions for Saint Lucia.  The successful candidate needs to be located in Saint Lucia for the duration of the contract.
• All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from ; Please group all documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows one document to be uploaded.
• Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

Other:

Submissions to UNDP Jobs are limited to a maximum of 10 MB, virus-free or corrupted contents to avoid rejection, and no more than 1 email transmission.   All applications must be submitted through UNDP jobs.  Please do not send applications to UN Women staff as they will not be accepted.

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks (background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check).