National Consultant for Menstrual Health Initiative

Job Posting Organization:
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the lead UN agency focused on sexual and reproductive health and rights, aiming to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. Established in 1969, UNFPA operates in over 150 countries and has a workforce of approximately 4,000 employees. The organization is committed to achieving three transformative results by 2030: ending preventable maternal deaths, ending unmet needs for family planning, and ending gender-based violence and harmful practices. UNFPA's strategic plan for 2022-2025 emphasizes the importance of addressing the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women's and girls' access to reproductive health services and rights, while also promoting ethical standards and human rights in its operations.

Job Overview:
The National Consultant will provide specialized technical support for the implementation of the 'Empowering Girls: Sustainable Menstrual Health Initiative in Mongolia.' This role involves developing key tools, training materials, and standards that align with global evidence and best practices to enhance the quality, inclusiveness, equity, and sustainability of Menstrual Health and Well-being (MHW). The consultant will focus on technical design, analysis, and documentation, working closely with UNFPA staff and partners to manage field data collection and stakeholder coordination. The consultant's work will address significant challenges faced by women and girls in Mongolia, particularly in school dormitories and remote areas, where access to menstrual hygiene products and facilities is limited. The consultant will also contribute to the development of robust tools and training packages that will inform future policy development and scale-up efforts.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant will be responsible for several key tasks, including:

• Developing an assessment protocol that outlines objectives, scope, sampling, data collection procedures, and ethical considerations for data collection on menstrual health in schools and dormitories.
• Conducting baseline analysis by analyzing data collected by UNFPA partners and preparing a baseline study report summarizing key findings and recommendations.
• Providing orientation and training sessions for UNFPA staff and partners on the agreed data-collection methodology and tools.
• Developing two training packages: one for adolescent peer educators and another for adults, including teachers and healthcare providers, to promote gender-transformative practices and reduce stigma.
• Drafting standards for menstrual hygiene kits and girls' toilets in schools, ensuring they are MHH-friendly and address privacy, accessibility, safety, and hygiene needs.
• Preparing an inception report detailing the agreed assessment protocol, baseline analysis plan, training packages, and standards.
• Supporting and guiding the UNFPA team in data collection and analysis, and finalizing all deliverables, including training curriculum and assessment reports.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a Master’s degree in public health or Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRHR). A master’s degree in related fields such as Gender, WASH, or Environmental Health may be considered if the candidate has substantial experience in menstrual health programming and standards development. Additionally, candidates should have a minimum of 5 years of demonstrated experience in conducting research and baseline assessments in adolescent or menstrual health, developing training curricula for health or education programs, and adapting technical standards for menstrual health, WASH, or SRHR. Proven ability to integrate gender and disability inclusion considerations in research and standards is essential, along with strong stakeholder engagement and facilitation skills.

Educational Background:
A Master’s degree in public health or Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRHR) is required. Candidates with a master’s degree in closely related fields such as Gender, WASH, or Environmental Health may also be considered if they have substantial experience in menstrual health programming and standards development.

Experience:
Candidates should have a minimum of 5 years of demonstrated experience in at least two of the following areas: conducting research and baseline assessments in adolescent or menstrual health, developing training curricula/manuals for health or education programs, and developing or adapting technical standards/guidelines for menstrual health, WASH, or SRHR. Experience in assessing WASH or school/dormitory infrastructure from a gender or disability inclusion perspective is also required.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory for this position. Proficiency in additional languages may be considered an asset but is not required.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy is expected to last for 43 non-consecutive days from 1 November 2025 to 1 March 202

• The consultant will work under the guidance of the UNFPA Programme Analyst and will be required to provide weekly progress updates and participate in bi-weekly coordination meetings with the UNFPA team. The payment schedule includes three installments based on the satisfactory submission of deliverables. UNFPA promotes a work environment that reflects gender equality, diversity, and integrity, and encourages applications from underrepresented groups.