Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Specialist, Poland - Ukraine Refugee Crisis Response at Plan International

Role Purpose
The overarching purpose of the role is to provide technical advice on SRHR in the Ukraine refugee response in Poland, together with partner organisations:

• Providing technical support on SRHR to Plan International and its partners in support of programme and project design, resource mobilization and implementation, grounded in locally led and gender and inclusion principles.
• Manage current partnerships and develop new ones with local SRHR, GBV and health actors in line with Plan International's partnership approach.
• Lead capacity development initiatives for staff and partners on SRHR of adolescents and young people, gender and gender-based violence.
• Work with Plan International staff and partners to strengthening integration of SRHR throughout the response
• Supporting SRHR advocacy and influencing together with partners
• Represent Plan International in relevant coordination bodies (incl. SRHR and GBV sectors), and work closely with the (child) protection and GBV sector to implement strong integrated interventions at facility, community and referral levels.
• Contributing to global learning, by documenting evidence from programmes and sharing best practices with colleagues across the Plan International federation.

Location:

• At present Plan International is not registered as an employer in Poland however we would welcome applications from those with the pre-existing right to live and work in Poland pending Plan International’s registration.
• Alternatively, we can consider applications from those with the pre-existing right to live and work in the countries in which Plan International currently operates.

The Role

• The conflict in Ukraine is resulting in a major humanitarian crisis with over 5million people having fled to neighboring countries, and millions displaced within Ukraine. Plan International is responding to the crisis and working in partnership with civil society organisations in Poland, Romania, and Moldova to meet the key needs of those affected by the crisis as well as host communities.
• Our global work on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) has been developing over the past decade and is underpinned by a gender-transformative approach aiming to tackle root causes of gender inequality and shifting unequal power relations that shape the prevailing social and gender norms that control girls’ sexuality.

Our key areas of work on SRHR in the response are:

• Work with health service providers to strengthen access for refugees to timely, comprehensive SRHR information and services, including contraception and abortion care and prevention and treatment of STIs, with focus on adolescent girls and young women:
  • In particular, strengthen access to clinical management of rape, MHPSS and other GBV services for survivors of SGBV
• Supporting access to comprehensive sexuality education and dialogue that enables adolescents to explore values and attitudes, and build skills and coping mechanisms regarding sex and sexuality.
• Support girls and young women’s menstrual health and hygiene.
• Connect with and support multi-sectoral interventions to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence with focus on child and women survivors, including improved access to clinical SGBV services, MHPSS services and child protection services
• Cash and voucher assistance for SRH services
• This also includes advocacy and influencing approaches for providing SRH services to refugees to the fullest extent of the law, and working in cooperation with other agencies and partners to provide relevant and timely support. The role will require close collaboration with Plan International colleagues and partners who deliver multisectoral services to support refugee families’ in Poland (e.g. education, protection, livelihoods and economic opportunities etc.).
• In Poland, Plan International is responding through partners and our response is focusing on child protection, mental health and psycho-social support, education and SRHR. The selected candidate will be expected to lead the SRHR response, with focus on supporting local partner organizations to deliver SRH information, education and services to young women and adolescent refugees, including to survivors of sexual violence. The role will be based in Poland with the Poland response as its primary focus, but may include travel in the region at a later stage to support SRHR in all countries where we respond to the Ukraine crisis.
• This role is also intended to strengthen the Partner Organisations’ commitment to a safe, responsive and inclusive response, with strong focus on gender equality and social inclusion.
• The Advisor is expected to represent Plan International in coordination bodies, inter-agency working groups, governmental and non-governmental groups as needed and agreed with managers.
• Liaise with different SRHR technical staff within the organisation, located within the Global Hub, National Offices, Regional Offices or Country Offices, as well as humanitarian teams, Emergency Response Managers and technical specialists within other humanitarian sectors (in the Ukraine response primarily).

The Requirements

• Significant experience of providing technical support to SRHR programmes and advocacy, including ability to analyse the impact of crises on SRHR of adolescents and young people with focus on girls and young women (experience in the Polish / Ukrainian context desirable)
• Strong technical knowledge of comprehensive SRH services, GBV, comprehensive sexuality education and understanding of SRHR in humanitarian settings (incl. relevant humanitarian standards)
• Strong communications and advocacy skills, including ability to develop and apply a range of advocacy strategies, in partnership with others
• Strong partnership management and collaboration skills
• Significant experience supporting capacity development initiatives and deliver SRHR and GBV related trainings to staff and partners (incl. trainings focusing on values clarification and attitudes transformation).
• Actively promoting diversity, gender equality and inclusion
• Good writing and editing skills, including fluent written and spoken English. Polish and/or Ukrainian desirable.
• Ability to prioritise tasks, meet deadlines and work independently.
• Capacity to manage demanding workloads, often in complex environments.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding and prevention of sexual assault and exploitation (PSEA)
• Conversant with the international humanitarian architecture desirable, particularly related to coordination and funding. Demonstrated prior experience of engaging with the humanitarian coordination system at local, regional and global levels. Demonstrable experience and expert knowledge of key practice and standards for SPHERE and Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS).
• Strong team and cross departmental working.

Plan International’s Values in Practice
We are open and accountable:

• Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
• Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
• Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
• Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
• Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people.

We strive for lasting Impact:

• Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
• Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
• Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
• Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together:

• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
• Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.

We are inclusive and empowering:

• Empowers staff to give their best and develop their potential.
• Respects all people, appreciate differences and challenge equality in our programs and our workplace.
• Supports children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives.