Gender Specialist (GREPOC) - Beira, MOZAMBIQUE

Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

Women, girls, men and boys are differently impacted by the crisis due to their different status and roles in the society. These differences exist before, but they are exacerbated in the times of crisis and limit their access to resources and services they need to be resilient and recover, therefore it is important to integrate gender equality in humanitarian actions, including programming to ensure inclusive and efficient responses.

According to the Government[1], cyclones IDAI and Kenneth that stroke the provinces of Sofala, Manica, Tete, Zambézia and Cabo Delgado respectively have claimed the lives of 600 people and affected 1.5 million.  The PDNA report estimated at 750,000, the total number of people in need of urgent assistance of which 54% women, 47% men, 254,000 under the age of 18 and 63,000 over 60 years old.  Goal 4 of UN Women’s Strategic Plan states that ‘peace and security and humanitarian action are shaped by women leadership and participation’ – this vision is particularly urgent in a disaster-prone country such as Mozambique.

UN Women oriented by the Humanitarian Country Team has been actively involved since the emergence of the cyclones Idai and Kenneth, participating in the main clusters and discussions, with relevant government representatives, women’s organizations and CSOs as well as development partners, to coordinate and provide technical inputs for the adequate attention to gender issues in the humanitarian as well as recovery and reconstruction periods.

With the aim to inform the recovery and reconstruction processes, UN Women co-led with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Action, MGCAS, the gender sector of the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) providing technical and financial support in partnership with Canada.   The assessment pointed out to a   significant impact of the disaster on the livelihoods, housing and safety of women and girls including exclusion of women in the response related decision making and traditional gender roles.

The outcome of the assessment was crucial and informed the recognition of gender equality as key principle for the recovery and reconstruction clearly reflected in the Joint Declaration of the International Donor Conference of 1 July 2019.  The UN Intervention Package on Recovery also emphasizes the need to focus on gender-responsive approach and ensure that vulnerable Women and Girls equitably participate and benefit resilient recovery, reconstruction and Disaster preparedness. UN Women have also been actively involved in the process of recovery programme design for post cyclones Idai and Kenneth, which started with the Conference in Beira advocating for the inclusion of gender approach in the programme including the prioritization of women and girls.

Following the cyclones Idai and Kenneth, the Government of Mozambique established the Gabinete de Reconstrução Pós-Idai and Kenneth (GREPOC) with the mandate to coordinate all investments related with the assessment, planning and implementation of the recovery programme in the affected areas. The entity will lead on both, infrastructure reconstruction and social and economic recovery efforts in an integrated manner. To further contribute to translate these principles into concrete results for women and girls and their rights in the recovery and reconstruction process, UN Women is committed to provide technical assistance to the government coordination bodies, to plan, implement, coordinate and monitor implementation of a Gender-Responsive Humanitarian Action, Resilience Recovery and Reconstruction.

In this context, UN Women is seeking to hire a Gender Specialist to support mainstream gender in the humanitarian action, recovery and reconstruction post-cyclones Idai and Kenneth. He/She will work closely with the recovery office team, central and provincial Government, UN Agencies involved in the recovery process, private sector and civil society to ensure the technical direction, coordination and best results. The dedicated Gender Specialist will be deployed to the GREPOC for a period of 12 months to provide day-to-day coaching and mentoring support and providing practical application of gender-responsive programming in the Humanitarian and the recovery and reconstruction process.

This assignment is aligned with the Mozambican Post Disaster Recovery Programme (PREPOC), the UN Women Global Strategy (2018-2021), Africa Strategy (2018 - 2021) that intends to ensure that «No Woman and Girl is left Behind» as Africa implements and strives to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – particularly Goal 5: “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. It further allows UN Women to coordinate its actions in achievement of the Africa’s Agenda 2063 Goals and Aspirations striving for «An Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children» (Aspiration 6). UN Women strategy underscores not only the immense benefits of empowering women and girls, but the inherent value of women’s rights, and empowerment as a women’s human rights imperative.

Under the overall guidance of the UN Women Representative and in close coordination with the GREPOC and direct supervision by the Programme Specialist, the incumbent will provide technical advice and assistance to the Gabinete de Reconstrução Pós-Idai e Kenneth (GEPRO) to mainstream gender issues in the recovery and reconstruction process. S/He will work closed with the team of experts providing gender expertise in all stages of their work   taking the lead towards the achievement of planned results of interventions specifically dedicated to address the  needs and interests of women and girls.

[1] Mozambique PDNA Report 2018.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

• Technical Advisory and Support
• Programme Development and Management
• Partnerships Building, Resource Mobilization and Knowledge Management
• Any other relevant tasks assigned by UN Women

Technical Advice and Assistance 

• Assist the GEPRO in planning budgeting, monitoring and reporting with a gender perspective
• Provide technical support to the GEPRO to ensure that the recovery and reconstruction processes, tools are gender sensitive
• Provide technical advice for the collection and analysis and dissemination of sex & gender disaggregated data
• Provide analysis, identify entry points for and technical support to ensure that interventions across areas (infrastructure, housing and livelihoods, etc) adequately address the needs of the most vulnerable women and girls  
• Provide technical support for development of guidelines for gender responsive procurement
• Identify    measures that may be required to address bottlenecks to gender-responsive recovery and reconstruction including policies, strategies and legal frameworks that may be hindering women to participate in or benefit from recovery and reconstruction processes, including in terms of women’s economic empowerment.
• Integrate protection and prevention of sexual and gender-based violence in the recovery and reconstruction processes
• Facilitate engagement of government institutions, women activists, UN agencies for necessary contributions and discussions aimed to further gender sensitiveness and responsiveness of the recovery and reconstruction
• Engage consistent and directly with communities in the cyclone’s affected areas and ensure in particular the participation of women and girls   in the planning, implementation and monitoring of the recovery process
• Provide guidance and work closely with experts on gender analysis related in humanitarian, recovery and reconstruction.,
• Conduct regular assessments and produces evidence-based reports on the level of gender responsiveness of the recovery and reconstruction process and interventions identifying concrete measures to address shortfalls, follow up relevant areas and monitor implementation
• Support the active engagement of the Provincial Department of Gender, Children and Social Action in all stages of the recovery and reconstruction process
• Provide advise INGC Focal Points for addressing gaps in relation to gender in Disaster Risk reduction and management
• Participate in key fora and advocate for attention to gender issues and provide concrete recommendations
• Participate in the inter-agency and multi-stakeholder’s coordination mechanisms and provides inputs on gender issues

Programme Development, Management

• Design and lead implementation of specific interventions dedicated to respond to the specific needs and interests of women with a focus on economic empowerment
• Ensure that the interventions produce the expected results, to the required standard of quality and within the specified constraints of time and cost
• Provide assistance and guidance to implementing partners
• Identify and obtain any support and advice required for the management, planning and control of the project
• Supports the effective application of results-based management (RBM) tools and monitoring achievement of results
• Manage programme/projects appraisal and evaluation according to results-based management requirements
• Provide operational support to ensure proper implementation of UN Women’s interventions at the provincial level

Partnerships Building, Resource Mobilization

• Maintain close contact with organizations of women and gender equality activists
• Work closely with UN Agencies to foster joint programming and programmes  on gender in the context of recovery and reconstruction
• Keep partners fully abreast on development related to gender responsiveness of the reconstruction and recovery process
• Support strategic partnerships and resource mobilization efforts including though development of project proposals
• Identify and act on funding opportunities including through development of   project proposals
• Represent UN Women in all events and meetings with the national counterparts (Government, Women’s Organizations, CSOs and private sector), UN Agencies and Development partners

Communications and Knowledge Management 

• Identifies, consolidates and shares success stories, good practices and lessons learned on gender responsiveness of the recovery and reconstruction process across areas
• Prepares and shares progress briefs on gender responsiveness of the recovery and reconstruction process on a regular basis.

Impact of the Assignment

• Gender sensitiveness of all documents produced under the leadership of GREPOC
• Gender disaggregated data in the recovery and reconstruction process
• Budgets to address gender issues in recovery and reconstruction interventions
• The concerns and basic  needs  of women and girls particularly the most  vulnerable women and girls addressed.
• Women and girls particularly the most vulnerable women and girls adequate equitably accessing to economic opportunities emerged  in the context of the recovery and reconstruction process processes.

Competencies

CORE VALUES / GUIDING PRINCIPLES

• Integrity: Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct;
• Professionalism: Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work;
• Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity: Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Ethics and Values: Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity;
• Organizational Awareness: Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
• Development and Innovation: Take charge of self-development and take initiative;
• Work in teams: Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds;
• Communicating and Information Sharing: Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication;
• Self-management and Emotional Intelligence: Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behavior towards others;
• Conflict Management: Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution;
• Continuous Learning and Knowledge Sharing: Encourage learning and sharing of knowledge;
• Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making: Demonstrate informed and transparent decision making.

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES

• Advisory, Development/programming skills particularly those that are pertinent to UN Women strategic priorities on gender issues and women’s rights;
• Ability to support formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development programmes and projects;
• Knowledge of Results Based Management principles and approaches;
• Ability to develop and maintain networks and partnerships with UN agencies and other international partners to promote partnership and build alliances to advance organizational interests and competencies;  
• Demonstrated good oral and written communication skills;
• Knowledge of and experience in gender mainstreaming is an asset;
• Experience in working and collaborating with governments;
• Initiative and strong leadership skills;
• Result and client-orientations;
• Willingness to travel as appropriate.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s Degree or equivalent in International Development, Gender Studies, Gender and Climate Change, Social Policy, Business Administration, Rural Development, Environmental Economics or related fields. A first-level university degree in combination with 7 additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the master’s degree.

 Experience:

• More than seven (seven) years of progressive experience working on gender responsive programming in development
• Solid knowledge on the status of women’s rights, women’s economic empowerment, legislation and policies in the field of gender as well as on the existing gender equality machinery in Mozambique
• Solid understanding and practical experience on gender mainstreaming
• Strong understanding of gender equality issues and its intersections with humanitarian response, economic autonomy, sexual abuse, HIV and AIDs, shelter, water and sanitation in developing countries;
• Experience in providing technical assistance to high level government officials (including drafting working quality documents, position papers, discussion papers on gender related issues etc.)
• Experience in providing technical assistance on gender mainstreaming to technical staff including leading design of gender training tools and delivering trainings on gender-responsive programming;
• Knowledge of Results Based Management and proven experience of using the approach in the formulation of action plans and project documents;
• Demonstrated ability to conduct rapid gender assessments and produce reports to inform decision making process
• Experience with humanitarian programming, the Cluster system and working with parastatal and inter-governmental organizations is an asset

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English and Portuguese (written and spoken) is required.

Knowledge of local languages is an asset.