Gender Specialist, ICS-11, Malawi
We are pleased to announce the following vacancy:
___________________________________________________
VACANCY NO.: Job ID 1747
CLOSING DATE: 25 February 2011, 5:00 p.m. New York time)
POST TITLE: Gender Specialist
CATEGORY: ICS-11*
POST NUMBER: new
POST TYPE: Non-Rotational
DUTY STATION: Lilongwe, Malawi
DURATION: One year fixed-term initially
ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT: Malawi Country Office
Organizational Location:
The Gender Specialist is located in the Ministry of Gender Children and Community Development and is under the overall guidance of the UNFPA Representative and the direct supervision of the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Gender Children and Community Development
Background:
Malawi is one of the world's least developed countries, ranked at 160 of the 182 countries according to the UNDP Human Development Index 2009. Malawi Gender Equality Index is 0.374, reflecting large inequalities between men and women. According to the 2008 census, the population is at 13.1 million with a sex ratio of 94.7 males for every 100 females. Malawi is also one of the countries with the highest population density in Africa (139 people/km2) and a rapid population growth (2.8% per annum). While over 80% of the population still lives in rural areas, the country has one of the world's fastest growing urban populations, with a 6% yearly rate of urbanization.
Women constitute 52 percent of the population in Malawi, but they are in most cases marginalized in social and economic spheres and, therefore, unable to contribute effectively to development. Among others, women are marginalized because of illiteracy (56 percent illiterate as compared to 28 percent for men) and by cultural values that favour men over women. The estimated HIV/AIDS prevalence in adults (15 to 49 years) in Malawi is at 12%, giving a total estimated number of 800,000 infected adults of which 58% are women. Gender inequalities still exist in accessing productive resources, development opportunities and decision making.
The Government of Malawi (GoM) is committed to address Gender** inequalities as outlined in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS 2006/11. However, addressing gender equality and equity issues has been constrained in Malawi due to weak coordination and implementation of gender related policies as well as entrenched traditional /cultural practices.
________________________________
**According to this programme the term Gender refers to the social differences between males and females that are learned, and though deeply rooted in every culture, are changeable over time, and have wide variations both within and between cultures.
Main Tasks and Responsibilities
The Gender Specialist will provide advice and technical support to the Ministry of Gender, on the effective and efficient management of programme activities in the area of Gender. He / She will:
• Provide technical and programme leadership, management advice, strategic support and guidance in the implementation of the Gender equality and women empowerment programme;
• Promote and strengthen gender responsive planning within national and local development planning processes, such as Malawi Growth and Development Strategy, Gender Youth Sector working group etc.
• Facilitate knowledge building and results- based change management, through identifying and synthesizing best practices and lessons learned on effective implementation of gender initiatives;
• Enhance institutional capacity to monitor the implementation of gender equality policies and institutional accountability to gender equality goals;
• Participate in the Development Assistance Group on Gender (DAAG) ;
• Scale-up and/or pilot innovative, targeted interventions to advance women’s rights and reduce gender disparities;
• Analyze and interpret the political, social and economic environment relevant to gender issues and identify opportunities for UNFPA assistance and intervention;
• Together with the Ministry of Gender and UNFPA Representative, contribute in advocacy and resource mobilization efforts at Country level;
• Prepare documentation, i.e. project summaries, conference papers, speeches, donor profiles and participating in donor meetings and public information events;
.
• Expedites and coordinate gender equality and women empowerment project implementation, establishing collaborative relationships with the other UN Agencies, experts, Government counterparts, NGO’s and other agencies facilitating timely and efficient delivery of project inputs;
• Organize trainings on relevant topics e.g. gender sensitive project management skills and contextually relevant skills to public sector counterparts;
• Use gender mainstreaming and HRBA principles to create synergies across public sector supported by UNFPA;
• Create and document knowledge on current and emerging gender issues by analyzing programmes, projects, strategies, approaches, ongoing experience and lessons learnt, best practices for use in knowledge sharing and planning future strategies.;
• Identify requirements for and contribute to the development of new or updated policies, positioning, frameworks, guidance, standards, instruments and tools in the gender sector;
• Participate in the UNFPA technical network in the substantive area, maintaining communication and feedback loops on all substantive work;
• Provide technical support to National Officers in the Ministry of Gender and public sector;
• Analyze technical and programmatic and substantive reports from the field and recommend required follow-up actions;
• Any other duties assigned by the Principal Secretary and the UNFPA Representative.
• Support the capacity building of a National Officers in Ministry of Gender.
Required Competencies
Core Competencies:
• Integrity/Commitment to UNFPA’s mandate/Valuing diversity
• Performance management
• Working in teams
• Self-management/Emotional intelligence
• Communicating information and ideas
• Appropriate and transparent decision making
• Analytical and strategic thinking and results orientation/Commitment to excellence
• Knowledge sharing/Continuous learning
Functional Competencies
• Developing and implementing conceptually innovative approaches to the provision of technical expertise
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners, and building strategic alliances and partnerships
• Job knowledge/technical expertise
• Adaptation and application of knowledge
• Integration in a multidisciplinary environment
Qualifications and Experiences Required
• Advanced degree in Social Anthropology, Sociology, Law and Women’s rights, Gender and Cultural Studies, or other field directly related to the substantive area identified in the title of the post;
• Seven years of increasingly responsible professional experience in the substantive area, of which five years at the international level;
• Broad experience in gender programming, understanding of Human Rights dimensions of Gender, experience in culturally sensitive programming and in supporting initiatives to eliminate Gender Based Violence (GBV) is essential;
• Gender budgeting understanding/experience an asset;
• Knowledge and experience of working on legal issues and Civil Society involvement in related security & protection an asset
• Knowledge and experience of working in areas related to harmful traditional practices is an asset
• Demonstrated expertise in the substantive area of work; and programme experience;
• Strong track record of technical leadership, and proven ability to produce demonstrable results;
• Strong verbal and written communications skills in English and/or in the relevant language in the region;
• Demonstrated ability to network within the academic and development community;
• Familiarity with management and monitoring tools is desirable;
• Field experience is strongly desirable;
UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, teamwork, respect for diversity, integrity and a healthy balance of work and life. We are committed to maintaining our balanced gender distribution and therefore encourage women to apply.
We offer an attractive remuneration package commensurate with the level of the post. The package includes a competitive net salary plus cost of living adjustment, housing allowance, home leave, health insurance and other benefits.
Download the Step by Step Guide to Applying in the E-Recruit System of UNFPA at http://www.unfpa.org/employment/vacancy.htm
Please print out the Guide for your reference during the registration and application process.
Notice: There is no application, processing or other fee at any stage of the application process. UNFPA does not solicit or screen for information in respect of HIV or AIDS and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.
*This is a project funded post.
___________________________________________________
VACANCY NO.: Job ID 1747
CLOSING DATE: 25 February 2011, 5:00 p.m. New York time)
POST TITLE: Gender Specialist
CATEGORY: ICS-11*
POST NUMBER: new
POST TYPE: Non-Rotational
DUTY STATION: Lilongwe, Malawi
DURATION: One year fixed-term initially
ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT: Malawi Country Office
Organizational Location:
The Gender Specialist is located in the Ministry of Gender Children and Community Development and is under the overall guidance of the UNFPA Representative and the direct supervision of the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Gender Children and Community Development
Background:
Malawi is one of the world's least developed countries, ranked at 160 of the 182 countries according to the UNDP Human Development Index 2009. Malawi Gender Equality Index is 0.374, reflecting large inequalities between men and women. According to the 2008 census, the population is at 13.1 million with a sex ratio of 94.7 males for every 100 females. Malawi is also one of the countries with the highest population density in Africa (139 people/km2) and a rapid population growth (2.8% per annum). While over 80% of the population still lives in rural areas, the country has one of the world's fastest growing urban populations, with a 6% yearly rate of urbanization.
Women constitute 52 percent of the population in Malawi, but they are in most cases marginalized in social and economic spheres and, therefore, unable to contribute effectively to development. Among others, women are marginalized because of illiteracy (56 percent illiterate as compared to 28 percent for men) and by cultural values that favour men over women. The estimated HIV/AIDS prevalence in adults (15 to 49 years) in Malawi is at 12%, giving a total estimated number of 800,000 infected adults of which 58% are women. Gender inequalities still exist in accessing productive resources, development opportunities and decision making.
The Government of Malawi (GoM) is committed to address Gender** inequalities as outlined in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS 2006/11. However, addressing gender equality and equity issues has been constrained in Malawi due to weak coordination and implementation of gender related policies as well as entrenched traditional /cultural practices.
________________________________
**According to this programme the term Gender refers to the social differences between males and females that are learned, and though deeply rooted in every culture, are changeable over time, and have wide variations both within and between cultures.
Main Tasks and Responsibilities
The Gender Specialist will provide advice and technical support to the Ministry of Gender, on the effective and efficient management of programme activities in the area of Gender. He / She will:
• Provide technical and programme leadership, management advice, strategic support and guidance in the implementation of the Gender equality and women empowerment programme;
• Promote and strengthen gender responsive planning within national and local development planning processes, such as Malawi Growth and Development Strategy, Gender Youth Sector working group etc.
• Facilitate knowledge building and results- based change management, through identifying and synthesizing best practices and lessons learned on effective implementation of gender initiatives;
• Enhance institutional capacity to monitor the implementation of gender equality policies and institutional accountability to gender equality goals;
• Participate in the Development Assistance Group on Gender (DAAG) ;
• Scale-up and/or pilot innovative, targeted interventions to advance women’s rights and reduce gender disparities;
• Analyze and interpret the political, social and economic environment relevant to gender issues and identify opportunities for UNFPA assistance and intervention;
• Together with the Ministry of Gender and UNFPA Representative, contribute in advocacy and resource mobilization efforts at Country level;
• Prepare documentation, i.e. project summaries, conference papers, speeches, donor profiles and participating in donor meetings and public information events;
.
• Expedites and coordinate gender equality and women empowerment project implementation, establishing collaborative relationships with the other UN Agencies, experts, Government counterparts, NGO’s and other agencies facilitating timely and efficient delivery of project inputs;
• Organize trainings on relevant topics e.g. gender sensitive project management skills and contextually relevant skills to public sector counterparts;
• Use gender mainstreaming and HRBA principles to create synergies across public sector supported by UNFPA;
• Create and document knowledge on current and emerging gender issues by analyzing programmes, projects, strategies, approaches, ongoing experience and lessons learnt, best practices for use in knowledge sharing and planning future strategies.;
• Identify requirements for and contribute to the development of new or updated policies, positioning, frameworks, guidance, standards, instruments and tools in the gender sector;
• Participate in the UNFPA technical network in the substantive area, maintaining communication and feedback loops on all substantive work;
• Provide technical support to National Officers in the Ministry of Gender and public sector;
• Analyze technical and programmatic and substantive reports from the field and recommend required follow-up actions;
• Any other duties assigned by the Principal Secretary and the UNFPA Representative.
• Support the capacity building of a National Officers in Ministry of Gender.
Required Competencies
Core Competencies:
• Integrity/Commitment to UNFPA’s mandate/Valuing diversity
• Performance management
• Working in teams
• Self-management/Emotional intelligence
• Communicating information and ideas
• Appropriate and transparent decision making
• Analytical and strategic thinking and results orientation/Commitment to excellence
• Knowledge sharing/Continuous learning
Functional Competencies
• Developing and implementing conceptually innovative approaches to the provision of technical expertise
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners, and building strategic alliances and partnerships
• Job knowledge/technical expertise
• Adaptation and application of knowledge
• Integration in a multidisciplinary environment
Qualifications and Experiences Required
• Advanced degree in Social Anthropology, Sociology, Law and Women’s rights, Gender and Cultural Studies, or other field directly related to the substantive area identified in the title of the post;
• Seven years of increasingly responsible professional experience in the substantive area, of which five years at the international level;
• Broad experience in gender programming, understanding of Human Rights dimensions of Gender, experience in culturally sensitive programming and in supporting initiatives to eliminate Gender Based Violence (GBV) is essential;
• Gender budgeting understanding/experience an asset;
• Knowledge and experience of working on legal issues and Civil Society involvement in related security & protection an asset
• Knowledge and experience of working in areas related to harmful traditional practices is an asset
• Demonstrated expertise in the substantive area of work; and programme experience;
• Strong track record of technical leadership, and proven ability to produce demonstrable results;
• Strong verbal and written communications skills in English and/or in the relevant language in the region;
• Demonstrated ability to network within the academic and development community;
• Familiarity with management and monitoring tools is desirable;
• Field experience is strongly desirable;
UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, teamwork, respect for diversity, integrity and a healthy balance of work and life. We are committed to maintaining our balanced gender distribution and therefore encourage women to apply.
We offer an attractive remuneration package commensurate with the level of the post. The package includes a competitive net salary plus cost of living adjustment, housing allowance, home leave, health insurance and other benefits.
How to apply
UNFPA has established an electronic application management system. This allows applicants to create a candidate profile, which can be updated regularly and submitted for more than one vacancy.Download the Step by Step Guide to Applying in the E-Recruit System of UNFPA at http://www.unfpa.org/employment/vacancy.htm
Please print out the Guide for your reference during the registration and application process.
Notice: There is no application, processing or other fee at any stage of the application process. UNFPA does not solicit or screen for information in respect of HIV or AIDS and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.
*This is a project funded post.
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