Menstrual Health and Hygiene Consultancy, NYHQ WASH Programme Group, remote. Req # 584126

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines fordeveloping countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

Consultancy Title: Menstrual Health and Hygiene Consultancy

Division/Duty Station: Programme Group, WASH Section

Duration: 01 October 2025- 31 December 2026

Home/ Office Based: Remote

 

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

Menstrual health and hygiene is central to the dignity, rights, health, and well-being of 2.1 billion girls, women, and gender-diverse people worldwide. Yet, it remains a neglected issue in global policy, programming, and financing. Despite increasing recognition of the importance of menstrual health and hygiene (MHH), it continues to be marginalized—omitted from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), inadequately addressed in national health, education and WASH systems, and underfunded in both development and humanitarian contexts.

 

Improving MHH is not only a health issue, but also a prerequisite for realizing gender equality, advancing education, improving mental health, enabling workforce participation, and supporting climate resilience. Failure to address MHH is a failure to uphold basic human rights and achieve the SDGs. However, progress is possible. There is a growing body of evidence, successful programmatic models, and a global movement advocating for change.

 

Global advocacy

A global coalition of diverse partners is being mobilized to elevate MHH as a development and policy priority through a coordinated advocacy initiative anchored by the Global Menstrual Collective (GMC). The goal is to launch a Shared Agenda for Action on MHH (as the first step of a global advocacy campaign) by May 2026 with clear goals and a unified call to action. The global coalition aims to present a compelling case for MHH to punch through indifference and highlight specific policy priorities and opportunities at global and national levels.

 

Stakeholders and networks across regions and sectors will be consulted and mobilized to co-create and collectively implement the agenda. The process will involve mapping key stakeholders and decision-makers and conducting a Global Political Economy Analysis (PEA) to understand where influence lies and how change can happen. It will also involve stakeholder consultation and engage diverse voices – centered on  girls and women,  men and boys - to ensure that the campaign is grounded in local  experiences and priorities. Furthermore, adaptable tools and resources will be developed to support country-level advocacy efforts for ?

 

Climate change

There is a growing body of evidence that climate change affects MHH through both rapid-onset extreme weather events (e.g., cyclones, floods, wildfires) and slow-onset climate shifts (e.g., rising temperatures, water scarcity, salinization). These disruptions compromise access to menstrual products, information, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities, as well as healthcare services.

 

Considering climate change and resilience in MHH programming ensures that menstrual needs are met before, during, and after climate related shocks and stresses. UNICEF and its partners have started to implement MHH programs that consider climate risk, but more guidance is needed. Countries would benefit from a global technical guidance on climate change and MHH.

 

This consultant will support the WASH Section at UNICEF HQ to provide technical support to the global coordinated advocacy initiative, specifically on the development of the shared agenda for action and consultations with adolescents and young people, to ensure their voices are considered in this agenda. The consultant will also support the development of a technical guidance on climate change and MHH.

As currently WASH HQ doesn’t have sufficient funding to cover all planned activities, some deliverables are planned to be completed only if additional resources will become available.

Scope of Work:

Between 1 October 2025 – 31 December 2026, this project will complete the f