Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based) A (least hardship) Family Type (not applicable for home-based) Family Staff Member / Affiliate Type International Expert UN Volunteer Target Start Date 2025-09-01 Deadline for Applications August 22, 2025 Terms of Reference Description of assignment title: Community-Based Protection / Gender-Based Violence Officer Mission and objectives: UNHCR works to ensure that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge, having fled violence, persecution, war or disaster at home. Since 1950, UNHCR has provided support in the face of multiple crises globally, and provided vital assistance to refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced and stateless people, many of whom have nobody left to turn to. UNHCR helps save lives and build better futures for millions forced from their homes. Assignment context: In September 2024, building on the previous experience with the issuance of Humanitarian Visas for Afghan nationals, Brazil launched a new initiative of community sponsorship for Afghans - the “Resettlement, Admission, and Humanitarian Reception Program through Complementary Pathways and Community Sponsorship for Afghan Nationals”. UNHCR has already started to work with the Brazilian authorities to provide technical assistance and capacity building to all actors involved in the community sponsorship. This has been done through technical support to the establishment of the programme, through the outreach and capacity building of civil society organizations who are interested in becoming sponsors, and through the development of specific operating procedures and guidelines for the identification and referral of individuals by UNHCR. The position is part of the Field Office São Paulo unit and is directed supervised by the Head of the Field Office. The incumbent will support the office in providing support to the protection component of UNHCR’s support to Brazil’s community sponsorship programme for Afghan nationals within the São Paulo Office Area of Responsibility. Task description: Within the framework of delegated authority and under the supervision of the Head of Office Field Office and/or his/her designated representative, the UN Volunteer will carry out the following tasks: - Maintain protection presence through regular field missions and reports, making direct contact with Persons of Concern (PoC) and partners. - Be fully informed about community structures and the protection and security situation of the population of concern and develop strong links with a cross-section of members of refugee communities, using an Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) approach. - Ensure that the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the PoC are reflected in the protection strategy, planning processes and operations plan addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, minority groups such as sexual minorities and persons living with HIV/AIDS. - Support communities in establishing representation and coordination structures. - Support PoC to develop structures that enhance their participation and protection. - Promote and integrate community-based approaches to protection and contribute to capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights. - Proposing and supporting the elaboration communication with communities’ informative material. - Conduct needs assessments, in coordination with the Brazil operation, and identify the main challenges on Child Protection (CP) and GBV prevention, mitigation, and response, including through focus group discussions (FGD), key informant interviews (KII), and the observation approach. - Conduct capacity-building sessions on CP and GBV prevention and response for the Afghan cultural mediators and GBV awareness raising with the Afghan community, as well as workshops for UNHCR and partners’ staff on the most prevalent forms of GBV and CP in the Afghan community, and ways to mitigate, prevent and respond to them. - Support and build capacity and systems for individual GBV case management for survivors and persons at-risk of GBV. - Participate in initiatives to capacitate national authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures. - Draft routine documents, contribute to assessments, and participate in inter-agency meetings. - Perform other related duties as required. Required education: Bachelor degree or equivalent Area(s) of specialization (education): Social Assistance, Psychology, Business Administration, Political Science, International Relations, Law. Required experience: 7 years of relevant work experience Required skills and experience: Essential: - Professional experience related to the protection of Afghan refugees and/or persons in need of international protection in host countries. - Excellent oral and written skills;