Consultancy – Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) and Child Marriage in Humanitarian Settings, Gender Human Rights and Inclusive Branch, Programme Division

In 2024, nearly 300 million people required humanitarian assistance and protection, with one in four being women and girls of reproductive age who may need specialised sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and gender-based violence (GBV) services. Within these populations, adolescent girls are especially vulnerable, facing heightened risks including child, early, and forced marriage. Factors such as conflict, displacement, and economic instability often exacerbate these risks, as families may view child marriage as a coping mechanism during crises. Additionally, the lack of access to quality healthcare, education, and support services further increases vulnerability and, consequently, the likelihood of adolescent girls being subjected to violence and harmful practices.

Despite growing recognition that child marriage is exacerbated in humanitarian contexts, it continues to be a low priority in humanitarian responses due to several interrelated barriers. A recent technical guide published by the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage highlighted some of these challenges: While child marriage is typically included within child protection and GBV frameworks, it is not comprehensively addressed, leading to fragmented coordination across sectors and an over reliance on reactive rather than proactive, preventative approaches. Additionally, insufficient funding for GBV and child protection programs limit the effectiveness of interventions, while the lack of reliable data hinders advocacy efforts and the implementation of effective strategies to prevent and mitigate child marriage in humanitarian settings.

Similarly, the Global Formative Evaluation of UNFPA’s Support to Adolescents and Youth (2023) has recommended further enhancing each of the three dimensions of the Strategy My Body, My Life, My World based on evaluative evidence, including by building on UNFPA efforts in mental health and psychosocial support as it relates to its comparative advantage in adolescent sexual and reproductive health. This includes piloting initiatives addressing mental health that will complement existing UNFPA interventions, exploring opportunities to partner with other United Nations organizations, and ensuring the human capacity and expertise required to implement these activities are in place.

Against the background above, UNFPA is developing a series of tools, resources, and guidance documents to enhance the provision of tailored services for adolescent girls in line with its  global strategies on adolescents and youth and gender equality. This consultancy will contribute to this effort by developing an MHPSS toolkit. This tool will be developed through a comprehensive review of existing evidence-based guidance and best practices, and in consultation with key stakeholders including UNFPA regional and country offices, humanitarian actors, implementing partners, and youth- and women-led organizations. The MHPSS toolkit will provide practical strategies and recommendations for tailoring and integrating MHPSS into humanitarian programs, ensuring that adolescent girls receive the comprehensive support they need to thrive.

The consultant  will deliver the following product:

A toolkit for tailoring mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services for adolescent girls in humanitarian settings, with a focus on displaced, refugee and on-the-move adolescent girls. The MHPSS toolkit should:

• Address the unique mental health and psychosocial needs of adolescent girls in humanitarian settings, including addressing trauma related to displacement, violence, and the pressures of child marriage.
• Outline gender-responsive and culturally appropriate interventions that specifically address the mental health and psychosocial well-being of girls facing the threat of child marriage, ensuring services are accessible to all adolescent girls
• Provide practical tools and strategies for engaging adolescent girls in the design and implementation of MHPSS services, focusing on group therapy and peer support initiatives that help address issues related to child marriage.
• Offer recommendations for integrating MHPSS services with other child marriage prevention interventions (e.g., educational programs, legal support) to create a holistic approach to safeguarding adolescent girls.
• Highlight approaches for engaging families and communities in supporting the mental health and psychosocial well-being of adolescent girls, including awareness about the harmful impact of child marriage.
• Explore how comprehensive sexuality education, life skills and asset-building approaches can contribute to MSPSS programming with girls in humanitarian settings.

The toolkit will be developed based on a thorough review of existing evidence, tools, and resources, and consultations with key stakeholders and potential beneficiaries. The consultant should ensure that the guidance document is evidence-based, aligned with international standards, and adaptable to different humanitarian contexts.

3. Tasks

• Conduct a comprehensive review of existing MHPSS resources specifically relevant to adolescent girls in humanitarian settings; and Identify gaps and limitations in available tools and guidance, including with relation to preventing and responding to child marriage among refugee adolescent girls.
• Conduct interviews with key stakeholders, including UNFPA staff, humanitarian actors specializing in MHPSS, child protection, GBV, youth-led organizations, and organizations working with and for adolescent girls to get their perspectives on key needs, as well as to identify promising practices for integrating MHPSS into child marriage prevention and response programs.
• Submit an initial draft of the toolkit: This should include a clear outline of the structure and content of the guidance document, incorporating findings from the desk review and key informant interviews.
• Submit final draft of the toolkit: The final draft should be a comprehensive, user-friendly resource that provides practical guidance on integrating MHPSS into child marriage prevention and response programs for adolescent girls in humanitarian settings.
• Organize and facilitate consultations with UNFPA global, regional, and country offices, as well as relevant stakeholders (e.g., UN agencies, NGOs, and youth-led organizations) to gather feedback on the draft MHPSS toolkit; and incorporate feedback and ensure the final document reflects diverse perspectives and best practices.
• Support the dissemination of the MHPSS toolkit and other relevant products through webinars (one per region) to build the capacity of UNFPA staff and partners on the integration of MHPSS in adolescent girls-centred programming, including the child marriage prevention and response programs in humanitarian settings
• Participate in regular meetings with the UNFPA coordination team to provide progress updates and discuss any challenges.

Advanced degree in a relevant field such as social sciences, public health, humanitarian studies, adolescents and youth development, education, psychology, gender-based violence, gender studies, or other related disciplines.

Knowledge and experience:

Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in gender-based violence (GBV) in humanitarian contexts.

• Proven expertise in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) and the establishment/management of girls’ safe spaces.
• Strong experience in developing policy, technical guidance, and tools, for adolescents and youth, with a focus on humanitarian settings.
• Specific experience in adolescent girls programming or  child marriage prevention and response is highly desirable.
• Exceptional research, analytical, and writing skills, with a demonstrated ability to produce high-quality technical documents.
• In-depth understanding of cultural, social, and contextual sensitivities in humanitarian environments.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken); proficiency in other UN languages (e.g., French, Spanish, Arabic) is an advantage.

.7. Reporting and supervision