National Gender Specialist to carry out a Country Gender Assessment of Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

Organizational Setting

The Country Gender Assessment of the Agriculture and Rural Sector (CGA-ARS) is a requirement by the corporate FAO Country Programming Framework (CPF) guidelines and mandated by the FAO Policy on Gender Equality 2020-2030. The CGA has the objective of revealing gender disparities in access to critical agriculture and rural resources, knowledge, opportunities and markets. There is evidence that these gender inequalities contribute to low agricultural productivity and food and nutrition insecurity. There are a number of potential impacts of COVID-19 on food security and livelihoods in Myanmar. These include i) disruption of food product market chains due to decreased production and transport constraints affecting both producers and consumers; ii) volatility of prices that could create social tensions and conflict; iii) decline in household income sources, livelihoods and purchasing power; and iv) fatalities, should COVID-19 spread seriously across urban and rural areas. It can be expected that households with direct incidences of COVID-19 will be the most severely affected through the loss of labour opportunities and income, incurred expenses, and decreased agricultural production. Those already economically disadvantaged, suffering from food insecurity and malnutrition, or vulnerable to socio-economic shocks, natural hazards and conflict are more likely to suffer severely from COVID-19 as it will deepen their vulnerability in the short and long-term. Further, various evidence suggests that women living in rural areas depending on agriculture are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 due to some factors such as increased care responsibilities and disruptions in local markets. In this situation, it is important to build a deeper understanding of the discriminatory impact women and other vulnerable groups are experiencing and what corrective action can help to preserve their life and livelihood.

The objectives of the CGA-ARS are to:

- inform FAO country level planning and programming particularly the formulation of the Country Programming Framework (CPF) as well as any other FAO interventions at country level in line with national development priorities and FAO’s mandate and strategic framework;
- facilitate FAO’s contribution to the UN Country Team CEDAW Report with up-to-date and objective information on the situation of rural women in the country;
- develop an understanding about current and future impact of COVID-19 on the lives and livelihoods of rural women engaged in the agriculture sector and what corrective actions could be taken to reduce/minimize the impact of COVID-19 on rural women’s life; and
- facilitate SDG monitoring and reporting and the preparation of the Common Country Assessment for UNSDCF preparation.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall managerial and administrative leadership of the FAO Representative (FAOR) in Myanmar/Budget holder and the technical guidance/supervision of the international gender consultant in collaboration with Assistant FAOR (Programme) and FAO Myanmar Gender Focal Point, the incumbent will carry out the following:

Tasks and responsibilities

• Carry out a comprehensive Country Gender Assessment of Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods (CGA), together with International gender consultant (IGC) following the steps outlined in the FAO Guide to prepare Country Gender Assessment of Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods
• Collect the data from existing information and resources and translate them into English as needed
• Prepare questionnaires in collaboration with the IGC and conduct key informant interviews with donors, UN agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders and prepare meeting minutes
• Prepare questionnaires in collaboration with the IGC, conduct focus group discussions (FGDs), and draft meeting minutes and case studies
• Review and translate all the other CGA relevant information in the country to provide inputs to the IGC as needed
• Participate in the CGA validation workshop

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Myanmar national or resident with a regular work permit.
• Advanced university degree in Sociology, Social Sciences, Economics, Development Economics, Gender Studies or other related disciplines
• Excellent knowledge of the key gender equality, social equity and women’s empowerment issues, and in particularly in Myanmar in the context of agriculture and rural development.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience (minimum 5 years) in gender analysis of public policies.
• Demonstrated ability (through publications in English language) to produce written analysis of socio-economic and gender issues.
• Significant experience (minimum 5 years) in analyzing and integrating the perspective of gender equality in programme formulation in the context of agriculture and rural development and experience in socio-economic and gender analysis

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Selection Criteria

• Extensive knowledge of the UN System, its working and programming mechanisms, familiarity with FAO’s work would be an asset
• Excellent oral and written Myanmar and English language skills

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.