International Consultant - Midwifery Consultant

Strengthening Midwifery is a key priority in the regional work of the United Nations Population Fund in the Arab States, reflecting its importance for improving maternal and newborn health and advancing universal access to sexual and reproductive health services. The new UNFPA Strategic Plan 2026–2029 emphasizes investment in the health workforce, including midwives, as a critical pathway to accelerate progress toward the “three zeros.” Global initiatives such as the Midwifery Accelerator and the Transitioning to Midwifery Models of Care: Global Position Paper from the World Health Organization further highlight the need to expand high-quality, midwifery-led models of care to improve outcomes for women and newborns while strengthening health systems. In this context, advancing midwifery across the Arab States region remains essential to improving quality, access, and equity in maternal and newborn care. In the Arab region, persistent challenges in human resources for reproductive health highlight the urgent need to expand access to qualified midwifery care, enhance education, and strengthen regulatory frameworks. Together with the League of Arab States and with technical support from UNFPA’s Arab States Regional Office (ASRO) and WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO), a regional strategic framework for midwifery and nursing was launched in December 2022. Since then, ASRO has engaged with national decision-makers to implement the strategy, resulting in several countries developing or updating national midwifery strategies and/or curricula.  

However, midwifery in the region still faces significant challenges. It is not widely recognized as an autonomous profession, and midwives often encounter gender and systemic barriers, leading to a shortage of leaders and experts capable of shaping midwifery policy. This gap is particularly evident in the need for professionals with regional expertise, cultural understanding, and Arabic language proficiency. To address these issues, ASRO has established the Arab Regional Midwifery Advisory Group (ARMAG), a platform to empower emerging midwifery leaders, support the implementation of the regional strategy, and provide technical assistance to countries developing their national plans. To continue to ensure that UNFPA ASRO is well positioned to support COs to advance midwifery across the region and to strengthen the ARMAG, ASRO requires an experienced international midwifery expert with strong regional expertise and language skills . 

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA expands choices and possibilities for women and young people to lead healthy and productive lives. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2026-2029), focuses on four interconnected outcomes: (a) accelerating progress on meeting the unmet need for family planning; (b) accelerating progress on ending preventable maternal deaths; (c) accelerating progress on ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and (d) adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.
UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results. We need staff who are exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results. 

Provide continued guidance and oversight to the ARMAG with a particular focus on:  

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here [link removed] to learn more.

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.