Job Summary

HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation Ethiopia is a registered charity operating in the working areas of Rural Infrastructure, Resilience Livelihoods and Natural Resources Management, Local Government Support through Civil Society Organizations capacity building, Youth Skills Development and Employment, and Emergency Responses. See also www.helvetas.org.

Back Ground

NRM Borena is a project that works to contribute to improved food and nutritional security of (agro) pastoralist communities in the Borena Zone through context specific, sustainable and gender responsive NRM practices and income diversification. The project also focused in strengthening local government and customary institutions governance structures and practices for increased and more equitable access to resources, contribute to gender equality, better coordination between and among stakeholders and conflict prevention and resolution.

HELVETAS Ethiopia is presently looking for motivated and competent professionals for the following position for a project entitled “NRM Borena” in Borena zone of Oromia regional state. 

Position: Gender Officer

PROFILE

The Gender Officer will be responsible to provide the key thematic and process support to the joint implementing partners (JIPs) of NRM-Borana project and particular ensure gender is mainstreamed across all project activities in a strategic manner. The incumbent is responsible to:

• Ensure increased and more gender equitable access to pasture and water resources through improved focus on gender
• Women’s access over productive resources is increased and control over assets is protected, supported, recognized and encouraged in local governance structures through targeted gender strategies.
• NRM interventions are better coordinated between government and customary institutions and gender is taken in to consideration at all structures by providing ready to use approaches.
• Ensure effective participation of (agro) pastoralist women in the implementation of NRM-Borana project activities, and to address the specific issues and needs of women groups.
• Ensure Gender and Social Equity (GSE) is properly mainstreamed as transversal themes into all components of the project through targeted interventions.
• Responsible to oversee and lead the implementation of dedicated Gender and Social Equity action plans in relation to all project activities.
• Contribute to the M&E framework by ensuring clear gender indicators are part of the framework
• Contribute to the budgeting process to ensure gender is properly budgeted for.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Technical Role

• Provide strategic guidance to the project all project partners from a gender lens
•  Provide clear strategies, tools, manuals and backstopping to all partners to ensure that gender is properly taken in to consideration in all aspects of the project  
• Ensure the active and effective involvement of women in project planning, implementation and monitoring and ensure this is done in ways that is gender transformative and not mere participation;
• Lead capacity building and collaboration on gender to ensure that project activities are gender transformative by organizing trainings, workshop/events and others as may be necessary and required;
• Contribute to knowledge building and gathering of learnings on gender from all project partners, particularly focusing on outcome level changes the project is contributing on gender
• Ensure that project activities are planned and implemented in ways that are empowering to women;
• Lead and build the capacity of teams to review reports, TORs and any other project documents to make sure that they are gender sensitive;

 Capacity Building Role

• Provide backstopping, coaching, mentoring, and supervising to the joint implementing partners of NRM-Borana project in order to ensure project implementation is being done in a gender transformative manner;
• Provide capacity building training on Gender and Social Equity (GSE) to various stakeholders as well as proving with the right tools for implementation, measurement and documentation;
• Ensure that gender issues are taken in to account in the project at outcome level by all partners

Networking and Collaboration

• Coordinate and collaborate with wide range of stakeholder to influence the various stakeholders to open –up space for pastoralist women in NRM and Governance 
• Closely work with Gada System and other local governance structures to engage women and set agenda around women participation
• Make sure that gender issues get duly consideration at various forums;
• Facilitate cross learning among different groups and various actors for further scaling up of gender transformative approaches through evidence building and influencing for policy attention.

Monitoring and Evaluation Role

• Support the project M&E from a gender perspective by ensuring data on all aspects of project implementation has gender related data with clear indicators
• Participate in regular monitoring and evaluation of the project with emphasis on gender transformation and particularly documentation of project contribution on gender at outcome level and make the necessary clarification and additions to make this possible.

Job Requirements

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

• Previous similar experience on leading gender, mainly under NGO environment preferably in Borana pastoralist area;
• A high level understanding of the gender issues as structural, institutional and practical
• Knowledge of natural resource management as a gendered issue, and ability of capacity building to local actors on gender transformation;
• Experience of working on gender strategies and tools to mainstream gender
• Experience in organizing capacity building on gender to multiple stakeholders
• Experience of working with Gada system or customary institution preferred;
• Master or Bachelor’s degree in Social Anthropology, Sociology, Gender study, law or other related fields;
• Minimum of 5 years’ NGOs work experience in Gender and Social Equity areas;

Other Required Skills:

• Fluent in English, Afaan Oromo, and Amharic languages;
• Cultural sensitive, and practical experience of working with various ethnic groups; 
• Excellent communication, facilitation and networking skills with a wide range of actors across geographical areas;
• Attention to details and timelines;
• Computer literate especially in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook). 

This job description summarizes the main duties of the job. It neither prescribes nor restricts the exact tasks that may be assigned to carry out these duties. This document should not be construed in any way to represent a contract of employment. Management reserves the right to review and revise this document at any time. 

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates are encouraged to apply by sending their application & updated CV through hr.ethiopia@helvetas.org  until 26th of March 2021.

HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation Ethiopia is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer whereby we do not engage in practices that discriminate against any person employed or seeking employment based on religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, disability, genetic information or any other status or characteristic protected under applicable law.

Please make sure you write the position title ' Gender Officer -for Borena, Yabello" in the subject line. Failure to do so will lead to application disqualify. 

Kindly note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.