UNICEF works in some of the world's toughest places, to reach the world's most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.
Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.
And we never give up.
For every child, PROTECTION.
UNICEF is committed to realising the rights of all children to help them build a strong foundation and have the best chance of fulfilling their potential. We believe that ensuring a child is happy and healthy begins before birth: from ensuring their mother has access to good health care to reaching adulthood as a healthy, empowered and informed young person of the next generation. This journey relies on every child having access to quality health care, good nutrition, education, and growing up in a safe environment free from violence.
UNICEF South Africa, there for every child.
South Africa (RSA) is a middle-income country more than 27 years into the advent of democracy with remarkable progress to improve the well-being of its citizens. South Africa is recognised for its strong legislative framework and policies, including implementing children's rights as articulated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, enshrined in the Constitution of RSA and the Children's Act (we need to rephrase this sentence). South Africa is faced with many challenges including enduring poverty, inequality, and unemployment, which impact the lives of children. Almost two-thirds of South African children live below the upper bound of the poverty line with children in rural areas and those living in female-headed households, particularly at risk.
The fast-developing and continuously changing information and communication technology (ICT) environment is reshaping children's lives globally. Now more than ever, children are increasingly relying on online and mobile technologies to learn, participate, play, entertain and socialise. The digital age has brought opportunities to children and its use has been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite the many positive opportunities it provides, the internet also increases children's risk of abuse and exploitation, and compounds offline risks and negative experiences such as bullying and harassment, exposure to pornographic and other potentially harmful materials, and possible dangerous contacts.
In RSA, there are pockets of online projects that require coordination and synergy to ensure a meaningful impact on the safety of children online. Furthermore, the National Study on the online safety of children in South Africa, conducted in 2018 by the UNISA Bureau of Market Research (BMR), highlighted the importance of strengthening coordination for the effective utilization of resources across the country. The Department of Social Development, as the coordinating line department for online safety, have expressed the need for onsite administrative support. The administrative support provided by this consultancy will strengthen programme implementation and more accountability.
Disrupting Harm is an unprecedented multi-country research project generating evidence on the nature and scope of online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) and the national response systems in place to combat this threat. The study includes 13 countries across the East Asia and Pacific region and the Eastern and Southern Africa region, including South Africa. Supported by the Fund to End Violence Against Children, Disrupting Harm draws on the expertise of ECPAT International, INTERPOL, UNICEF, and their networks of both national and global partners.
The evidence generated for the Disrupting Harm in South Africa national report will highlight key steps for policymakers, law enforcement, civil society, the general public, and others to further disrupt the harm of online sexual exploitation and abuse to children in South Africa.
How can you make a difference?
Under the supervision of the Child Protection Specialist, the consultant will (a) strengthen the capacity of the Department of Social Development (DSD) by supporting the development of the Model of National Response in the country (MNR) considering the Disrupting Harm Study recommendations (b) provide technical support to the Steer-Comm (Steering Committee) as they perform their oversight functions, and (c) strengthen coordination of different stakeholders working towards the protection of children online.
The consultant will strengthen the capacity of the Department of Social Development by
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