Gender Equality Officer at Save The Children

ROLE PURPOSE: 

• The Gender Officer is responsible for all gender mainstreaming initiative and implementation with technical support from the gender specialist to the humanitarian mission in Borno to ensure the vision of Save the Children where all girls and boys can hold diverse hopes and dreams for their futures, and have equal opportunity to make these come true are met.
• S/he will ensure gender is integrated into the results based management frameworks, strengthening and supporting gender equality strategies and facilitating gender equality capacity strengthening for Borno field team, partners and vendors via training and tools development.
• S/he will not only ensure programmes are gender sensitive but aim to provide support to make such programmes become gender transformative.

SCOPE OF ROLE:  

Reports to: Gender Equality Specialist    
Staff directly reporting to this post: None 
Budget responsibility:  None

• With support from the Gender Equality Specialist and IHA Manager formulate key gender messages and targets from lessons learned, assessments, research and evidence gained through project implementation.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of project objectives and initiatives, both short and long term, encompassing a wide range of issues with a gender lens.
• Promote the rights of children through advocacy and gender responsive and disability inclusive strategic plans. 
• Support Nutrition, Child protection and WASH sector to ensure programs are child-friendly and gender responsive.
• Support the Gender Equality Specialist to ensure that voices of children disaggregated by Sex age and disability SADD and considerations of other social dimensions form the basis of all key organizational strategies.
• Acquire information and understanding of key gender issues in the country particularly in the north east focusing on women, men, boys and girls (e.g GBV, Early Child Marriage, SRHR, etc) and adapt strategies as necessary.
• Support to build the capacity of key programme staffs and volunteers including partners and vendors on gender, equality and diversity inclusion.
• Develop good knowledge of state and national government structures, parliamentary and political processes and key decision making structures and how to influence them working with the Gender Equality Specialist and the advocacy team.
• Provide inputs into systems for research, analysis and documentation that underpin evidence for gender based programming and influencing at state level.
• Write regular progress reports for activities implemented, as well as support gender related programme reports as directed.
• With support from the GE specialist, conduct context specific gender analysis and other assessment for the Project to inform gender responsive programming.
• Maintain a strong relationship with other Gender related staff across SCI
• Develop and maintain a network of external contacts with key individuals in the government, NGO sector, civil society and the media particularly working on gender issues and participate in gender working group meetings, which may include providing oversight.
• Promote the achievement of SCI breakthroughs, theory of change and other strategic commitments.
• Participate in improving partnership development quality and gender sensitive Quality bench mark.
• Perform other tasks, as required, to ensure the smooth running of the IHA project and others SCI programs.

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically.

Collaboration:

• Actively listens to different perspectives and experiences of stakeholders
• Actively participates in networks to access and contribute to good practice
• Establishes and maintains clear communication and dialogue with disaster and conflict affected people and other stakeholders
• Establishes clear objectives with partners

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency
• Commitment to Save the Children Values

Skills

• Knowledge of Child protection, Nutrition and WASH programming
• Knowledge of gender analysis, risk assessment and general assessment. 
• Knowledge of the policies, functions, structures and decision-making processes of key national institutions with regard to Gender.
• Team player with strong leadership skills
• Local language skills - ability to communicate in Hausa, Kanuri will be an advantage
• Understanding humanitarian contexts and application of humanitarian principles:
• Ensure that programme goals and activities uphold the principles of the key national and international humanitarian frameworks, codes and commitments
• Integrates beneficiary accountability principles into the approach
• Participates in disaster coordination mechanisms and interagency cooperation mechanisms
• Leadership: Action; Thinking; Self; Inspiring; Developing Others:
• Demonstrates approachability and trust by listening carefully to others and valuing their contribution, and making others feel comfortable by being open and honest about their thoughts and feelings
• Demonstrates self-development and management by taking responsibility for own development, and actively seeking out feedback to better understand their own strengths and weaknesses
• Makes positive statements about work
• Effectively influences others by understanding their interests and showing how they will be met by own preferred solution
• Gives constructive feedback to enhance capabilities and responsibilities to partners and others

Desirable 

• Experience building capacity and trainings especially on gender related issues. 
• Prior work experience in communities across Nigeria.
• Knowledge of the policies, functions, structures and decision-making processes of key national institutions with regard to Gender. 
• Team player with strong leadership skills
• Local language skills (Ability to communicate in Hausa and Kanuri will be an advantage)

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential Criteria

• University degree or equivalent in Social Science, development studies, gender & development or equivalent combination of relevant training and experience
• Proven experience working on normative change for gender equality and adolescent sexual and reproductive health in sensitive contexts
• Proven experience in supporting the designing, implementing and evaluating gender-transformative social and behaviour change communication interventions.
• Experience in supporting the implementation of gender-transformative approaches in humanitarian context.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team setting with minimal supervision
• Specific knowledge of international development and gender equality issues; experience engaging children and other community members on gender equality issues desirable.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills with the ability to multi-task in a fast-paced work environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Fluent in English
• Computer literate

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience building capacity and organizing trainings especially on gender related issues.
• Prior work experience in communities across Nigeria.
• Knowledge of the policies, functions, structures and decision-making processes of key national institutions with regard to Gender with knowledge of conducting gender assessment. 
• Team player with strong leadership skills
• Local language skills - ability to communicate in Kanuri and fulfulde will be an advantage.