Consultant - Child Protection Advocacy Verified listing

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, and alternative care. These observations present an important opportunity to translate international commitments into actionable and context-specific policy and programmatic responses, supported by coordinated advocacy and increased public investment in child protection systems.

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 The province continues to rely on the outdated Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929, with no comprehensive legal framework aligned with international standards.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, and long-term socio-economic exclusion. Addressing this requires urgent legal reform, sustained policy advocacy, and integrated social and behaviour change interventions.

In the context of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, these gaps are not related to ownership, as the provincial government has demonstrated strong commitment to strengthening the child protection system through the implementation of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Act, 2010 and expansion of services.

Under the overall supervision of UNICEF and in close coordination with KPCPWC and LGRD, the consultant will undertake the following tasks:
A. Development of a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection Advocacy Framework
B. Targeted Advocacy for Legal and Policy Reform
C. Strengthening Local Government Ownership and Interoperable Systems
D. Advocacy Engagement and Coordination

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  Child Protection Advocacy Consultant.pdf

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Master’s in law, child rights/human rights, public policy, public administration, social sciences, development studies, social work, gender studies
• Work experience:
  • 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
• Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:
  • 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
• Desirables:
  • Prior working experience with UNICEF or other UN agencies.
  • Specific experience in child protection or child marriage-related work.
  • Policy-level working experience in child protection programmes, including development of policy documents, strategies, and advocacy materials.
  • Proven contribution to child marriage law reform or similar legislative advocacy processes.
  • Experience in developing and validating provincial advocacy frameworks