[Hiring] Child Protection Advocacy Consultant @AGORA

Role Description

Pakistan, as a State Party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening national and sub-national child protection systems to uphold the rights of all children. Following the recent review, the Government of Pakistan has received the Concluding Observations (2026) from the Committee on the Rights of the Child, which provide a comprehensive set of recommendations to address persistent child rights challenges, including:

• Violence against children
• Child labour
• Child marriage
• Birth registration
• Justice for children
• Alternative care

Child marriage remains a critical child protection concern in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The province continues to rely on the outdated Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929, with no comprehensive legal framework aligned with international standards. This gap, coupled with entrenched social norms and weak enforcement, limits effective prevention and response, exposing adolescent girls to heightened risks including:

• Early pregnancy
• School dropout
• Violence
• Long-term socio-economic exclusion

Addressing this requires urgent legal reform, sustained policy advocacy, and integrated social and behaviour change interventions.

Under the overall supervision of UNICEF and in close coordination with KPCPWC and LGRD, the consultant will undertake the following tasks:

• Development of a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection Advocacy Framework
• Targeted Advocacy for Legal and Policy Reform
• Strengthening Local Government Ownership and Interoperable Systems
• Advocacy Engagement and Coordination

Qualifications

• Master’s in law, child rights/human rights, public policy, public administration, social sciences, development studies, social work, gender studies
• Minimum 8–10 years of relevant professional experience in policy development, legislative reform, advocacy, or child protection work
• Demonstrated experience in child marriage prevention/reform, child protection systems strengthening, or provincial-level advocacy in Pakistan (experience in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be a strong asset)
• Proven track record in conducting legal/policy gap analysis, developing advocacy frameworks/strategies, and facilitating high-level stakeholder consultations with government departments, commissions, and parliamentarians
• Previous experience working with UNICEF, UN agencies, or international development partners is highly desirable
• Language requirements: English and Urdu

Requirements

• In-depth knowledge of child protection issues in Pakistan, particularly child marriage, child rights legislation, provincial child protection systems, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s legal and policy context
• Strong expertise in policy and legislative advocacy, including conducting legal/policy gap analysis, developing advocacy strategies, policy briefs, talking points, and facilitating high-level stakeholder consultations
• Excellent analytical, writing, communication, and facilitation skills, with the ability to work independently under tight deadlines and integrate gender, equity, and inclusion perspectives

Benefits

• Diverse opportunities for professional and personal development
• Attractive compensation and benefits package

Company Description

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.