National Gender Specialist

Terms of Reference
National Gender Specialist

Location: Hanoi (main office), Lao Cai, Son La
Assignment duration: 1 year (potential for extension)
Level of Effort: Full Time
Start date: January 2019
Reporting to: Deputy Team Leader
Deadline to apply: 5pm, 4 January 2019

ABOUT US

With more than 30 years of experience, CowaterSogema is Canada’s global leader in management consulting services specializing in international development. We have managed the implementation of over 800 projects in more than 80 countries around the globe for clients such as DFID, DFAT Australia, the World Bank and Global Affairs Canada. We work with governments, partner organizations, communities and civil society to design and implement sustainable solutions that generate lasting social, economic and environmental impacts. Our adaptive approach to management has led to our award-winning work and recognition as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies in 2017 and 2018.

BACKGROUND

CowaterSogema is seeking to recruit a highly qualified professional as national Gender Specialist to support the Aus4Equality|Gender Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism (GREAT) Program.

The GREAT Program is a flagship initiative of the Australian aid program in Vietnam – it commenced in November 2017 and will run for five years (2017 to 2021). The Program seeks to promote women’s economic empowerment (WEE) in the ethnically diverse north-west region of Vietnam. The primary beneficiaries are women living in the provinces of Son La and Lao Cai, while an overarching emphasis is placed on the inclusion of women from ethnic minority communities as these provinces are home to twelve and twenty-six ethnic groups respectively.

The objectives of the Aus4Equality|GREAT Program are:

• Objective 1 – Empowering local women: Women living in local communities have increased capacity, space and choices to beneficially engage with agriculture and tourism businesses.
• Objective 2 – Inclusive businesses partnerships: Selected private sector actors within the agriculture and tourism sectors innovate to profitably and sustainably trade with more women entrepreneurs and operate in gender sensitive ways.
• Objective 3 – Improving sector governance and policy: Government agencies reinforce policies, and enact plans, regulations and services that enable more inclusive socio-economic development.

Key approaches applied by the program include: Market system development (MSD), Partnership, Adaptive Management, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Innovation and Women’s Economic Empowerment. Women’s economic empowerment goes beyond increased income and employment with six dimensions that the GREAT Program aims to address: influence on social norms; economic advancement; decision making; functions and workloads; access to opportunities; and access to assets and services. Key Program targets are:

• Increase the self-reported confidence, enthusiasm and self-esteem of 80 per cent of women beneficiaries;
• Increase the number of women leading or co-managing formal businesses by 15 per cent;
• Increase women’s profile and roles in: policy, management, strategic decision-making, and resource allocation in the agriculture and tourism market sectors; and
• Achieve measurable improvements in gender equity, roles and norms within the families of GREAT beneficiaries.

The program will partner with 50-80 partners to deliver results, including private sector actors, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and research institutions. The Program aims to mainstream gender equality in all projects, with gender targeting the focus of specific interventions.

SUMMARY OF POSITION

Reporting to the Team Leader, the Gender Specialist will support the Program’s team, provincial management units (PMUs) and implementing partners (IPs) on relevant gender and women’s economic empowerment issues to ensure gender equality is appropriately mainstreamed and/or targeted. This will include capacity building, providing a gender perspective to planning, implementing, monitoring, reviewing and evaluating project activities, as well as learning and reflection workshops. The role also includes identifying opportunities to connect the Program to national level gender policy discussions and supporting quality reporting and communication activities.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide broad expertise to the Aus4Equality | GREAT team and Partners to inform approaches and activities that address the multi-dimensional nature of women’s economic empowerment.
• Based on the Program’s strategic goals, the Lao Cai and Son La provincial engagement strategies and Partner activities, identify key gender insights required for the Program.
• Support capacity building for the Program’s team, PMUs and Partner’s as required.
• Actively monitor the Program’s progress in achieving gender targets and provide timely advice on potential improvements.
• Participate in the Reflect/Refocus workshops to inform the Program’s and Partner’s workplan development and provide expert knowledge and guide/facilitate partners’ discussion on gender and women’s economic empowerment issues.
• Provide support for policy advocacy at a provincial level and identify opportunities to connect the GREAT Program to national general policy discussions and other initiatives or programs.
• Provide input into the longitudinal study as required and support the documentation of case studies on women’s economic empowerment.
• Collaborate with the team to ensure quality of reporting and communications that addresses the multi-dimensional nature of women’s economic empowerment.

REQUIREMENTS

• Demonstrated professional experience providing advice on gender equality and social inclusion, including in international development projects (minimum 10 years).
• An excellent understanding of gender issues in Vietnam and experience and understanding of working on gender issues with ethnic minority groups.
• Proven ability to advocate and provide strategic advice on gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.
• Experience in organising and facilitating training and learning sessions.
• Ability to manage multiple demands and prioritise tasks, work effectively and collaboratively with diverse stakeholders, and support other team members as needed.
• Excellent communications skills in Vietnamese and English.
• Enthusiasm, commitment to learning, and excellent interpersonal skills.
• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant area such as gender studies or international development.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested candidates are invited to send an application to [email protected]. Please indicate in the subject “Application for Aus4Equality Gender Specialist”.

Applications should include:

• A cover letter including a response to each of the selection criteria
• A detailed Curriculum Vitae
• Contact details of 03 referees

Deadline of submission: 5:00pm, 4 January 2019

Women, and people of minority groups, are encouraged to apply.