Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP)

Overview

Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP) for better, more inclusive policies that adequately and systematically address the needs and rights of persons with disabilities. STEP advocacy strategy on inclusive development concentrates on strengthening the inclusion of persons with disabilities particularly focusing on women and girls with disabilities facing double discrimination, sexual harassment, and gender-based violence.

STEP’s advocacy is embedded in the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and its “Leave no one behind” principles, as well as in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

Under this project, STEP with UNFPA support aims at providing evidence, analyses, and recommendations to policymakers to help them implement the commitments they have made and the legal human rights obligations they are accountable for.  STEP is seeking the services of a Gender Advisor for ensuring the programmatic aspects, based on women rights and empowerment; gender analysis and monitoring tools; communication and negotiation; personal development; institutional development; racism and discrimination, etc

Job Description

The Gender Advisor would be responsible for institutionalizing a gender-focused approach and the development and implementation of a gender mainstreaming policy, supporting and promoting program-wide integration by providing expert advice on national and sectoral level gender issues, including opportunities and risks. S/he will facilitate the project program team in (i) Developing capacities both in-house and counterparts to integrate gender concerns in all practice areas including PSEA; (ii) Providing gender-responsive policy advisory services that promote gender equality and women empowerment; and (iii) Supporting specific interventions that benefit women with disabilities to mitigate gender-based violence

At the operational level with a specific focus on (i) ensuring strengthened women participation in decision-making spaces, through policy adviser and development of networks; and (iii) promoting and ensuring equal opportunities for women with disabilities in proposed community development initiatives like access to GBV services, protection, and rural infrastructure services; and (iii) providing advice on any barriers that limit women with disabilities participation and gender inclusion in the process.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Design a gender-sensitive capacity-building framework that can target the specific needs of various stakeholders.
• Build capacities of relevant STEP staff, PSC support workers, and stakeholders in gender integration, analysis, and monitoring to ensure institutionalization of these affirmative measures to women equity after project phase-out.
• Develop necessary systems that ensure knowledge development and dissemination on good practices and lessons learned in affirmative actions introduced to mainstream gender in STEP programs and policies
• Undertake periodic reviews with a gender lens and conduct assessments of strategies and activities that support women initiatives
• Assist the Programme management team in developing program strategies with the aim of fostering a shared vision and direction with regard to gender equality.
• Assist the Programme Coordinator in reviewing recruitment, placement, and promotion efforts and propose new ways to integrate women at all levels of assistance efforts and program management structure;
• Review drafts of the proposals and make critical recommendations to ensure that gender issues are adequately addressed and gender is considered in the costing and budgeting processes
• Spearhead development of a gender-responsive mechanism and indicators, so that planning and budgeting intentions are enabled to apply the ˜gender-lens’ and include sex-disaggregated targets and benchmarks and measures that support women’s empowerment
• Develop PSEA implementation plan within the organization
• Perform any other tasks relevant to the enhancement of gender issues be requested by the program team
• Contributing to the formulation of gender equality research and knowledge management initiatives and developing and/or supporting gender to gender equality.
• Providing inputs for communications collateral including briefs, reports, website posts/ blogs, etc.

 Academic Background:

• Postgraduate degree in social sciences, international law, development studies, and/or gender studies, or similar.
• A minimum of 3-5 years of practical experience in implementing activities that support gender equity, equality, and community participation.
• Having knowledge of GBV, data segregation, and donor reporting.
• Ability to work well in a team environment and to act both responsively and proactively to ensure effective implementation of program activities related to gender.
• Experience in working with governmental bodies as well as civil society organizations on the advancement of women and equal rights.
• Written and spoken, English and Urdu

Competencies:

• A good understanding and proven application of all gender aspects and other related tools and mechanisms for the realization of a gender-based approach.
• Strong knowledge of gender and development issues, operational as well as theoretical and political.
• Proven ability to develop research methodologies, data collection tools with the aim of gender mainstreaming.
• Competency in conceptualizing, designing, implementing gender-focused strategies, and evaluating outcomes.
• Demonstrated capacity in planning and implementing community participation training, including the development of materials and using participatory methods.
• Strong communication skills, ability to handle details and present a persuasive case.
• Ability to work harmoniously with persons of different nationalities and cultural background issues Initiative and proven ability to work with little supervision