Gender Senior Officer (GSO) Full Time

Cuso International is an international cooperation and development organization that works to create economic and social opportunities for marginalized groups. Together with our partners, we are focused to advance gender equality and social inclusion, improve economic resilience, and deliver progress on climate action.

Cuso International has designed UGIRLS2 Project to promote access to higher education for high school girls and to address a number of barriers that impede adolescent girls’ education in Benishangul Gumuz Regional State, Ethiopia. The project will enhance academic, social and soft skills for adolescent girls, including those with disabilities, and strengthen the capacity of teachers and education institutions to deliver quality and gender-sensitive education. The initiative seeks to adopt a holistic and transformational approach to address barriers to girls’ higher educations, including through community engagement. Cuso International will implement this project in partnership with Institute of International Education IIE in selected high schools of BSG Regional State

The postholder will be responsible for coordinating the implementation of the project’s Gender Equality Strategy (GES) and Action Plan (GEAP) in alignment with Cuso International Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Strategy (GESI) and programming guidelines, and with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) Gender Equality Policy. The GSO will coordinate and deliver community sensitization, facilitate trainings and  reporting on the achievement of gender equality results as outlined in the project’s Performance Measurement Framework (PMF). The GE will lead the on-going review and updating of the GES and GEAP to ensure that they are in line on evolving best practices.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DELIVERABLES:

• Provide leadership and coordination for the implementation of the GES and GEAP;
• Facilitate the institutionalization of gender equality across the project;
• Collaborate with the CPO team and the partners on the annual budget for gender equality initiatives;
• Coordinate capacity building initiatives of project staff to design and deliver specific gender responsive interventions;
• Working with the Program Team, coordinate GE assessments and capacity building of partners and stakeholders;
• Develop, adapt and facilitate the use of effective GE tools and processes to guide program staff deliver GE results;
• Keep abreast of research and policy development on gender equality;
• Map out and develop alliances with organizations working on gender issues on a local and international level;
• Position the work of Cuso International among organizations working on gender equality in the region;
• Engage women and youth associations in the project target locations to promote gender equality and girls’ education;
• Work closely with other members of the project to organize relevant gender equality events including March 8 celebrations, workshops, press conferences, talk show interviews, documentaries, etc.
• Contribute to the organization of learning events on project practices and approaches in relation to gender equality interventions;
• Promote replication of documented best practices on gender equality among partners, stakeholders and across Ethiopia;
• Work closely with PMs and CPO team to develop policy briefs and relevant advocacy materials ensuring gender is mainstreamed in communication materials;
• In collaboration with the MEAL Team, review and refine gender sensitive monitoring tools and processes;
• Coordinate reporting processes on gender interventions and contribute to mid-term and annual report reports as required;
• Document lessons learned from review processes to continuously improve the quality of gender equality interventions.
• Advocate to eradicate GBV in schools and build the capacity of boys and men to be a change agent for addressing social norms that hinder gender equality and the importance of girls’ education;
• Facilitate / coordinate support for victims of GBV in collaboration with relevant institutions;
• Coordinate the design and delivery of women entrepreneurship and economic empowerment trainings;
• Participate in Project Committees as well as provide regular programmatic and operational reports to the Country Representative and project partners;
• Represents the project at events, workshops, conferences and other networking opportunities;
• Analyze and maintain strong understanding of the development context in Ethiopia and identifying new trends and opportunities for partnerships or funding;
• Effectively coach and mentor the CPO team to deliver gender responsive customer services;
• Occasionally perform other duties as required by the Country Representative.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Essential

• MA in Gender Studies, Social Sciences, or similar field or with a first degree with higher level program management experience.
• Technical trainings in gender equality and/or the empowerment of women and girls;
• Minimum of seven years’ experience in gender equality programming/mainstreaming, preferably with an international organization, aid agency or other development organization;
• Technical knowledge and experience in the implementation of transformative gender approaches, complex gender analysis and advocacy related to gender issues;
• Track record on development of gender-sensitive indicators and monitoring;
• Experience in working with a variety of partners and stakeholders from public and private sectors, civil society and community groups, including vulnerable groups;
• Experience in networking and alliance building;
• Excellent communication (written and oral) and public relations skills;
• Demonstrated experience in capacity building; skills-transfer to local organizations and on-the-Job training for staff
• Strong organizational, research, negotiation, analysis and training skills;
• Demonstrated analytical skills on gender issues;
• Excellent influencing and negotiation skills;
• Demonstrated capacity to provide strategic vision

Circumstances

• Ability to spend time away from base visiting volunteers, and work with partners and project beneficiaries;
• Ability and willingness to work long / irregular hours when appropriate during project implementation;

Desirable

• Versatile in Gender Transformative Approaches and tools;
• Experience in research-based advocacy program design and implementation;
• Strong knowledge in application of social behavioral change communication tools
• Experience working as a volunteer, with volunteers and/or with a volunteer-sending organization;
• Experience working with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) or other development agencies.

Language requirements: English and Amharic