Gender, Disability and Child Rights Associate

UNICEF in Cambodia works as part of the United Nations system, with the government, civil society, youth networks, and other development partners to fulfil its mandate to promote and protect the rights of children and women. UNICEF’s work is guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and core human rights treaties, especially the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The UNICEF / Royal Government of Cambodia five-year country programme 2024-2028 has been developed to advance the realization of children’s rights in Cambodia and aims to foster the growth and potential of all children and young people, especially the most vulnerable due to their gender, disability, and ethnicity, by developing, funding, scaling innovative solutions and models into sector policies and children's programs. It also seeks to enhance national and subnational systems to improve the quality, inclusivity, and resilience of infrastructure and services. The programme further emphasizes community mobilization and social and civic participation to promote positive norms, practices, and behaviors, while engaging policymakers, development partners and private-sector entities to support and advance child rights. The five country programme components include Health and Nutrition, Education, Child Protection; WASH, and Policy and Public Finance for Children (PPF4C) together with cross-sectors including Gender Equality, Disability Inclusion, Adolescent Development and Participation, Social Behaviour Change, Climate Change, and Technology for Development. The country office is located in Phnom Penh with a total staff number of approximately 110 persons, 20 of whom are internationals and 90 are nationals of Cambodia.

UNICEF’s Vision for child-centered inclusive and Gender-Equitable Development: By 2030, UNICEF envisions a Cambodia where all children and young people—without discrimination and including those most at risk due to disability, gender, ethnicity, or other forms of exclusion—fully enjoy their rights and live in inclusive, protective, and supportive communities. In line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), children and young people can access quality services, develop their capabilities, and participate in decisions that affect their lives. This vision is grounded in gender equality and equity, ensuring that girls, boys, and gender-diverse children and young people—particularly those with disabilities—can realize their full potential and live free from discrimination and harm. Core Goals of this Approach: - An Enabling and Inclusive Policy Environment: Governments and stakeholders strengthen an enabling environment that upholds the rights of children and youth with disabilities—especially girls and young women—to survive, learn, be protected, and participate. This includes inclusive policies, legal frameworks, coordination mechanisms, and institutional capacities addressing barriers related to disability, gender, age, and social norms. - Inclusive, Gender-Responsive Services at the Local Level: Children and adolescents with disabilities, with their families and caregivers, have equitable access to inclusive, accessible, and gender-responsive services across health, education, WASH, child protection, and social protection systems. Service delivery models are adapted to diverse needs, with attention to preventing violence, neglect, and exclusion faced by girls and young women with disabilities. - Empowerment and Meaningful Participation: Children and young people with disabilities are empowered as rights-holders to build skills, express views, and participate in family, school, and community life. Emphasis is placed on amplifying the voices and leadership of adolescent girls and young women with disabilities, often marginalized in decision-making. - Cross-Sectoral System Strengthening: Gender equality and disability inclusion are mainstreamed across sectors through coordinated planning and implementation. Systems for data collection, budgeting, and monitoring are strengthened to use disaggregated data by age, gender, and disability, supporting evidence-based programming and equitable resource allocation. Role of the UN Associate Volunteer: The UN Associate Volunteer for Gender Equality and Inclusive Social Development will support implementation and monitoring of UNICEF Cambodia’s gender and disability inclusion agenda across Education, WASH, Child Protection, and Social Protection. The Volunteer will contribute to mainstreaming child rights–based, gender-responsive, and disability-inclusive approaches; promote access to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and pathways to employment for youth with disabilities; and strengthen youth participation in governance processes—particularly for adolescent girls and youth with disabilities. In addition, the Volunteer will support cross-sectoral coordination, policy analysis, and programme reviews to advance strategies that uphold children’s rights and promote inclusive social development within the Cambodia Country Office.

Under the direct supervision of the Adolescent Development and Gender Specialist, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: - Supporting disability and gender inclusion across sectors: The Associate Volunteer will assist in integrating disability inclusion and gender equality into all programmatic areas—including Education, WASH, Child Protection, and Social Protection—ensuring that equal and inclusive practices are embedded at all levels of implementation. - Supporting the promotion and nurturing of adolescent girls and boys as rights-respecting, gender equality champions: The Associate Volunteer will support the development of innovative ways of promoting gender equality at individual, community, and institutional levels, nurturing adolescent girls and boys as rights-respecting advocates and gender equality champions with a stronger focus on girls with disabilities and girls from indigenous groups. The Youth Volunteer will support innovative ways of promoting gender equality at individual, community, and institutional levels, nurturing adolescent girls and boys as rights-respecting advocates and gender equality champions, with a stronger focus on girls with disabilities and girls from indigenous groups. - Promoting access to decent work for persons with disabilities: A specific focus will be supporting the Royal Government of Cambodia in enabling persons with disabilities, including youth, to access Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and transition into decent and inclusive employment opportunities post-training. - Advancing youth participation in governance and empowering opportunities: The Associate Volunteer will contribute to UNICEF Cambodia’s broader agenda of enhancing youth engagement at both national and sub-national levels. This includes enabling commune youth representatives—especially those with disabilities and young women—to participate in public budgeting processes and advocate for greater investment in inclusive social services, as well as encourage young people, particularly those from vulnerable groups, to participate in capacity building opportunities. This will also include contributing to increased agency among young people—particularly those from vulnerable groups—to engage meaningfully in policy development and rights advocacy. - Contributing to policy and programmatic reviews: The Volunteer will support cross-sectoral coordination and participate in the programmatic review of gender equality and disability inclusion efforts, helping to formulate concrete, actionable steps to strengthen the Cambodia Country Office’s work in these areas.