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The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does – in programmes, advocacy, and operations. UNICEF’s equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment into action by ensuring that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop, and reach their full potential. 

The Global Programme Division (GPD) plays a central role in driving programme excellence across UNICEF, providing global strategic leadership, policy direction, and technical expertise. Through its Centres of Excellence—located in Nairobi, Panama, Amman and Bangkok—UNICEF delivers high-quality, demand-driven technical assistance to country and regional offices, supporting policy reform, scalable programming, and institutional strengthening. 

Within this global ecosystem, the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) catalyzes action for girls’ education and gender equality in and through education. By influencing global policy, promoting evidence-based solutions, and facilitating cross-sector collaboration, UNGEI advances gender-transformative education systems worldwide. 

This position contributes directly to UNICEF’s Strategic Plan 2026–2029 and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4 (quality education) and SDG 5 (gender equality), supporting efforts to ensure inclusive, resilient, and equitable learning opportunities for all children and adolescents.

How can you make a difference?

Under the guidance of the Senior Education Adviser for Gender and Equity (UNGEI), the Education Specialist (Gender Equity) will lead strategic initiatives and provide high-quality technical assistance to UNICEF regional and country offices, governments, and global partners to advance gender equality in and through education. 

You will play a central role in strengthening national education systems to achieve gender equality, supporting Gender-Responsive Education Sector Planning (GRESP), fostering gender-transformative leadership, and addressing harmful gender norms and school-related gender-based violence. You will also contribute to advancing gender equality in education in emergencies and protracted crises, while supporting capacity-strengthening initiatives across UNGEI’s global network. 

In this role, you will provide strategic leadership and coordination for global initiatives such as the Gender at the Centre Initiative (GCI) and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Gender Technical Assistance Initiative, working closely with governments, donors, and partners to deliver impactful and sustainable results.