Associate Director, Gender Equality and Social Power at Women for Women International (WfWI)

Women for Women International (WfWI) - In countries affected by conflict and war, Women for Women International (WfWI) supports the most marginalized women to earn and save money, improve health and well-being, influence decisions in their home and community, and connect to networks for support. By utilizing skills, knowledge and resources, she is able to create sustainable change for herself, her family, and community.

Since 1993, WfWI has served over 500,000 women in 8 conflict-affected countries, including Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Sudan. Since 2002, we have worked with over 20,000 men worldwide to support women’s rights and gender equality.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Associate Director, Gender Equality and Social Power

Location: Nigeria
Department: Global Programs Unit (GPU)
Employment Type: Regular Full-Time
Reports to: Senior Director, Program Design and Development

Overview

• Women for Women International (WfWI) works in some of the most dangerous places to be a woman. We serve women survivors of war in conflict and post-conflict areas around the world in 8 countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Eastern Congo, and Northern Nigeria. Our core belief is that stronger women build stronger nations; and with access to knowledge, resources, and a support network, a woman rebuilds her life and improves her community.
• Our model works and we have the data to prove it. In our 26-year history, Women for Women International has reached over half a million women. The women we work with across 3 continents earn just $0.81 a day when we enroll them. At graduation, it’s $2.11, nearly tripled.
• Our impact goes beyond income. The number of women who say at least one household member went to sleep hungry in the last four weeks has gone from 18% to 5%. And more women say they speak out against women's abuse: 26% report having publicly spoken in the last 6 months against physically abusing women.
• When women have the right tools, they realize the power within themselves to transform their lives, their families, their communities, and finally their entire nations.

Purpose:

• Women for Women International has an immediate opportunity for an experienced Associate Director of Gender Equality and Social Power. This position will report to the Senior Director of Program Design and Development and be a member of the Global Programs Unit (GPU).
• The Global Programs Unit (GPU) at Women for Women International supports Country Office programs in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Sudan.  It also provides funding and technical support to partner organizations and local affiliates (previous country office) in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• The location for this position is flexible outside of the United States with a preference for candidates from a region where WfWI currently works (Nigeria, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan). Post-COVID expected travel is 20-25%.

Main Duties and Responsibilities
Based on their experience and expertise, the Associate Director will guide WfWI in furthering its extensive women’s social power program portfolio, with a focus on gender-transformative programming in fragile and conflict-affected countries. WfWI’s Gender Equality and Women’s Social Power portfolio includes, but is not limited to: literacy awareness, building life skills, basic health education and referrals, women’s rights, agency and decision making, women’s leadership and networking, violence against women/GBV prevention, grassroots advocacy and engaging men as allies in gender equality. Cross-cutting issues include displacement and disability inclusion.  They are the primary point of contact for WfWI’s Country Offices for supporting context-specific gender equality and social power strategies, fundraising and program implementation.

Leadership in Gender Equality and Social Power:

• Serve as the primary technical expert in gender equality and social power for WfWI globally
• Provide strategic advice to senior management to guide policy, planning, and delivery
• Develop programmatic partnerships to further WfWI’s programming
• Develop global guidance to improve gender equality and social power programming based on gaps in existing programs, and work with teams to develop country-specific plans, innovative approaches and mechanisms to address gaps (technology, partnerships, etc.)
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of research and practice, and facilitate shared learning and peer support platforms across all WfWI offices

Technical Guidance in Design and Planning:

• Coordinate closely with the Associate Director of Women’s Economic Power, as well as other technical team members, to ensure integrated social and economic power programing for women
• Provide high quality technical guidance to Country Offices and teams for gender equality and social power program improvement especially in effective training facilitation and new areas of work
• Carry out regular monitoring and technical assistance to Country Offices to support the effective implementation of their gender equality and social power programming
• Collaborate with M&E team to contribute to the development of WfWI’s M&E system-related activities
• Review and analyze global and country-specific outcome indicator data, and other evaluations, research and reports related to gender equality and social power, with country teams, as a basis for improving program approaches
• Provide support to country teams in strategic and operational planning

Fundraising Efforts:

• Lead gender equality and social power program design for grant proposals or new project concepts
• Develop highly impactful messages about our program to share with donors
• Collaborate with business development teams on finding and responding to funding opportunities

Relationship Building and External Representation:

• Establish relationships and coordination with regional and global NGOs, institutions, UN bodies, and networks
• Support country teams to develop partnerships and linkages with other organizations, government and private sector working on gender equality and social power issues at national, regional and community levels
• Represent WfWI in networks and coalitions (e.g. GBV Coalition, WPS Network, MIUSA’s the Excellence in Development and Disability Inclusion (EDDI)) and at global and regional forums
• Support the global advocacy team in developing key messages and policy papers on related issues

Cross-Organizational Communication & Teamwork:

• Maintain regular communications with Country Offices, US (HQ), UK, DE and other departments in HQ
• Share up to date knowledge of research, policy and practice with the global organization

Qualifications and Skills

• Required Bachelor’s degree in International Development, Gender Studies, or related field; graduate degree highly desirable
• Minimum nine years’ relevant work experience in international development, with emphasis on gender equality and women’s social power, of which at least five years must be at managerial level
• Lived experience in WfWI’s target countries (or similar) is highly desirable
• Demonstrated knowledge of relevant social and economic development issues such as poverty, power, women’s rights and empowerment, gender, and conflict
• Analytical ability and extensive experience in creating project plans, implementing plans,  managing grants and budgets
• Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to support a large, complex, diverse and multi-cultural team of people through a participatory and enabling management style
• Demonstrated capacity to serve as a coach or mentor of individuals from diverse race, ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and professional backgrounds for staff development and capacity building
• Demonstrated experience with fundraising, such as contributing to gender analyses, theory of change, inputs into logframes, etc.
• Experience with capacity building and participatory adult learning training (e.g. curriculum development) highly desirable
• Successful at establishing and maintaining internal and external relationships, building trust, and inspiring teamwork
• Confidence and experience in external representation and public speaking
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; working knowledge of a language of WfWI’s country teams (French, Kiswahili, Dari, Kurdish, etc.) highly desirable; knowledge of other local languages would be an advantage
• Good judgment and problem-solving skills, positive attitude, demonstrated willingness to take initiative especially in changing security contexts, political dynamics and budgetary shifts
• Commitment to and respect for Women for Women International’s mission and values
• Strong computer skills in MS Word, Excel, internet, email applications

Physical Demands:

• May require bending, lifting, standing, sitting, computer work, etc.
• The duties, responsibilities and activities of this job description may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Organizational Values
Our global core values define how we are to behave as we pursue our mission, our vision, and our strategic objectives:

• Empowerment: We believe every woman is unique and powerful in her own right. Our people areour greatest strength and we will support them to achieve our aims by providing them with the information, rewards and power they need to take the initiative and make decisions to solve problems and improve our delivery and performance. As a learning organization - we encourage our people to take risks and make mistakes, we learn and grow and get better, stronger and  
• Integrity: We will never communicate in any way that exploits or demeans the women we exist to serve, we will deliver a program of training that maximizes the impact for the women we serve  to bring them the biggest benefits and facilitate the greatest long-term positive change in their   we do what we say we are going to do, when we say we're going to do it. We act as good stewards of the organization’s resources.
• Respect: We believe every woman has the right to be treated with fairness and dignity. we trusteach other implicitly, confident in the knowledge that we are all working towards the same goals. Equally, we hold each other responsible and accountable at all levels of the organization for the outcomes of our actions. We will be bold, clear and kind in our communication with our colleagues across the organization and not allow disrespectful behavior to go unchallenged.
• Resilience: We see every day the strength of women survivors of war and their ability to neverlose hope despite having faced the greatest atrocities and horrors of conflict. They inspire us to stay strong, hopeful, focused and committed to our global purpose. We support each other to do the same.

Application Closing Date
20th April, 2021.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online