Gender Expert Consultant

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles

Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance

Job Title: Gender Expert

Type of Contract: Consultancy

Division: ARC (WFP African Risk Capacity)

Duty Station (City, Country): Johannesburg, South Africa

Duration: 11 months

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The African Risk Capacity is a Specialized Agency of the African Union established in 2012 as an African-owned index-based weather risk insurance that provides African countries with tools and products to quantify and manage disaster risk. ARC offers a comprehensive, integrated solution that transfers weather risk away from governments – and the vulnerable households they protect to ARC. This enables governments to build resilience and better plan, prepare for and respond to extreme weather events.

ARC Agency established its first financial affiliate, ARC Insurance Company Limited (ARC Ltd) in 2013 as a sovereign risk pool in the form of a mutual insurer owned by Member Governments. Whereas the ARC Agency provides capacity building services to Member States in risk profiling, contingency planning, and monitoring and evaluation; ARC Ltd., issues weather insurance policies to governments. It uses ARC’s risk modelling and early warning software platform Africa RiskView to estimate the impact of weather events on vulnerable populations. Besides it also estimates the response costs required to assist them – before a hazard season begins, and as it progresses, so that index-based insurance pay-outs, based on Africa RiskView, are triggered at or before harvest time if the rains are poor or as soon as a severe flood or cyclone has occurred.

As part of its principles of engagement, the ARC Group adopts a differentiated approach to issues of gender equality. ARC considers the promotion of women’s empowerment and gender equality an important factor in creating long-term impacts and sustainability. In this perspective, in a bid to ensure that its operational responses and its capacity building work have a differentiated approach to men and women, ARC adopted its Gender Strategy in September 2019. The Gender Strategy, which is a result of intensive consultations with all its stakeholders has as its goal to transform Disaster Risk Management (DRM) approaches to ensure gender equality for vulnerable women and men in ARC Member States. It is in this context that ARC seeks to recruit a Gender Expert for the implementation of the 5-year strategy.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the supervision of the Head of Gender Unit, the incumbent will support the implementation of the ARC Gender Strategy in the following areas:

1. Providing capacity building support to Member States: work with the Country Engagement Managers to ensure gender mainstreaming in country programmes by facilitation of individual and institutional training; development and/or adaptation of training modules to country contexts; establishment of training of trainers’ networks at country and regional levels; supporting the Gender, Advocacy and Communication (GAD) sub group of the TWG;

2. Providing capacity building support to ARC staff: Development and/or adaptation of training modules to thematic areas; facilitation of staff training, provision of backstopping support to staff in mainstreaming gender in their specific thematic areas;
    
3. Knowledge development and management: conducting of gender analysis at country levels; collection and analysis of gender disaggregated data at country and regional levels; conducting research to enhance the gender quality of country strategic papers; contributing to policy briefs and other publications on gender and DRM issues.

4. Supporting resource mobilisation, policy dialogue and advocacy: In the context of the Gender Transformative Fund (GFF), ensure availability of country specific advocacy and sensitisation materials; organise sensitisation campaigns, facilitate policy dialogue sessions and ensure adequate monitoring and evaluation of GTF activities

5. Supporting partnership building and networking: in the context of the Gender and DRM platform, provide support in setting up and facilitation of the activities of the ThinkTanks, including moderation of online discussions via the virtual platform; liaise with research and academic institutions to ensure quality and timely productions of planned researches and publications; ensure adequate dissemination of knowledge products of the Platform;

6. Communication and reporting: work closely with the Communications team to ensure adequate visibility to the gender mainstreaming efforts of the Gender Team and the entire ARC staff; contribute to quality presentations, both written and verbal, to ARC stakeholders and partners; and contribute to organisational reports to ensure adequate reporting on gender actions to development partners and ARC Board;

7. Perform other related duties as requested by ARC COO and/or GDG

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in one or more of the following disciplines: gender studies, social sciences, international development, agriculture, development economics, or other relevant field. Master’s degree is an added advantage.

Experience:

A minimum of seven (7) years post graduate professional experience is required.

Language:

Fluency in English is required with a working knowledge of French.  Working knowledge of another AU official language –Arabic or Portuguese – is an added advantage.

Desirable Skills and Knowledge:

• Knowledge of disaster risk management and financing issues
• Strong facilitation, writing and communication skills.
• Ability to complete tasks on time and uphold ARC standards for high quality output without constant supervision.

Terms and Conditions

WFP offers a competitive compensation package which will be determined by the contract type and selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.

Please visit the following websites for detailed information on working with WFP.

http://www.wfp.org Click on: “Our work” and “Countries” to learn more about WFP’s operations.

Deadline for applications: 31 January 2021

Ref.: VA No. 134081

Qualified female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply

WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.