Research Assistant at the Women Arise Development and Humanitarian Initiative (WADHI)

WADHI is a non governmental organization called Women Arise Developmental and Humanitarian Initiative to wrestle poverty to its knees by providing capital, knowledge, skills and access to opportunity for poor and vulnerable groups, especially women, to achieve development in all spheres of society.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Research Assistant

Location: Abuja with travel possibilities
Type: Short Term Contract

Detailed Description

• The Women Arise Development and Humanitarian Initiative (WADHI) is seeking expressions of interest from qualified candidates for the position of Research Assistant for the WADHICEDAW-KOWGO Project
• The assignment is expected to commence in November of 2018. Details of the assignment and information for applicants can be found at the bottom of the posting.
• Duration: 3 months with possibility of extension. (Contract extension will be subject to performance and validity of the Project Estimate. New TOR may be prepared in this event.

WADHI-CEDAW Hub

Purpose
The project seeks to:

• Create "Digital Space" for advancing CEDAW principles on women’s leadership and governance rights by stimulating conversations on political, legislative and soci-economic agenda that reflects women’s rights.
• Enhance synergy of action and reporting on CEDAW article 18 through Nigeria CEDAW-Hub Communities
• Galvanize and sustain actions to enhance women’s leadership and governance roles through CEDAW reporting processes.

Although Nigeria has been a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) since 1984, domestication, implementation and reporting on the Convention is still a challenge. The project will undertake research pieces to generate knowledge and promote awareness on CEDAW articles related to Violence Against Women (VAW) and Women, Peace and Security (WPS) to strengthen existing groups promoting women’s rights aggregated into this thematic community of the CEDAW Hub Nigeria.

Guidelines developed on best practice interventions and models will serve as tools to facilitate collaboration, partnership and reporting. A tapestry of best practice works will be built from Nigeria and other country CEDAW efforts. Through comparative, studies, analysis and exchanges, VAW and WPS stakeholder efforts will be strengthened and findings used to review strategies and modalities for implementing the VAPP Act 2015, UNSCR 1325 and related national and stale legislations/policies:

• Linkages will be created to amplify progress and impact achieved in VAW and women peace and security efforts locally and globally and learning platforms convened to deepen knowledge and ensure correlation and sync between on-going actions and reporting especially in the context of CEDAW requirements and concluding observations on Nigeria’s last periodic report.
• Technology will be utilized to boost tracking of stakeholder efforts to promote women’s rights activism, amplify women’s voices, expand women’s agency, create synergy and build consensus on:
  • Gender caucusing within the legislature
  • CEDAW reporting by government, donors, CSOs and critical institutions and
  • Improving strategic alliances, coalitions and platforms for women’s leadership, representation and governance.
• Robust and inclusive reporting processes will be supported and partnerships built across the board for CEDAW implementation using established groups and networks, identified “Sync Centres”, “Burning Issues” and “Hot Spot” concerns.
• To strengthen institutional capacities and enhance sustainability of project outcomes, policy and legislative forums will be organized to provide platform and opportunities for shaping discourse/modalities for improved compliance with CEDAW Articles, accountability to gender policy objectives as well as gender sensitive SDG and AU 2063 implementation and reporting.

WADHI-KOWGO
WADHI’s work is inspired by the need to technologically respond to the knowledge, access & skills gaps encountered mostly by women entrepreneurs. This is why the organization has developed a holistic Technology-based, gender friendly offline/online Mobile Application (App) called the KOWGO App. The App which features seven Modules not only helps to generate proper real-time business documentation, it also generates data for providing thorough Business Diagnostic Services for users and ultimately generates their Business Health Status Report. It also offers simple financial literacy knowledge in a format that is accessible and responsive to women’s time constraints. To this end, an innovative partnership was forged between WADHI, Intel, Bank of Industry and Siemens to support women’s economic empowerment.

WADHI as a gender-focused organization offers the KWOGO App as an innovation and acts as:

• Training Specialist on financial inclusion & enterprise management
• Small & Medium business/enterprise analyst
• Business clinic and Incubation service provider
• Loans/financial risk reduction agent.

Working with partners, leading organizations and financial institutions, our goal is to bridge gender gaps in the economic sector and help targets achieve financial independence by creating access to formal financing while reducing financial/ investment risks. To this end we:

• Offer digital solutions to financial inclusion problems of SMEs
• Provide financial / risk management tools and services that effectively track business records and consequently serve as affordable financial manager for SMEs
• Provide financial information's/records for petty traders and SMEs to track business performance and promote expansion/scale-up
• Generate financial records and business reports on demand.
• Help women climb the financial ladder or step into the formal financial system through training and consultancy services.

The project is an initiative targeted at reaching 100,000 women each from 18 states in Nigeria including the FCT; across multiple platforms (Virtual and Physical) piloting with 3 states. The intervention will dwell largely on addressing operational failings in the MSMEs sector especially as it relates to women enterprises to birth a healthier and more productive sector.

Duties and Responsibilities - CEDAW HUB

• Undertake research pieces to enhance understanding of CEDAW Articles, improve implementation and reporting mechanisms.
• Review literature and legislation relevant to the project;
• Develop tools and templates on women’s rights within the principles of CEDAW Articles 5 and 6
• Develop guidelines and best practice models to enhance documentation and reporting on relevant CEDAW Articles
• Develop criteria for submission of good practices and success stories on VAW/WPS interventions that reflect CEDAW principles
• Work with the IT to identify and promote digitally active women leadership initiatives
• Identify and promote digitally active women’s leadership initiatives
•  Identify established groups and partnerships committed to CEDAW Article on digital platforms
• Develop and popularize CEDAW reporting parameters and procedures
• Develop and popularize CEDAW reporting parameters and procedures
• Other duties as required.

Duties and Responsibilities - KOWGO

• Review literature and legislation relevant to the project;
• Contribute substantial input to development of work plans, research questions, project concept notes, and field research guides;
• Identify and develop possible areas for partnership with local organizations, and government agencies
• Assist in authoring research reports, briefing notes, policy papers, and other materials as required;
• Help to develop and coordinate research dissemination and follow-up activities, including providing substantive advice on the future direction of the program; and
• Conduct interviews with a variety of actors (government, traditional leaders, CSOs, youth groups, women’s leaders, etc), using a full-range of qualitative research techniques;
• Provide insights into the findings of field research, using substantial local knowledge (political, institutional, cultural, etc); and
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor

Preferred Qualifications
The successful candidate will possess some or all of the following characteristics:

• Fluency in written and spoken English
• BA or MA in Social Sciences or a relevant field
• Gender Expertise and Knowledge of CEDAW will be an advantage.

Requirements

• One to three years working experience preferable
• Excellent command of English Language (spoken, read and written), documentation, report writing and publishing.
• Willingness to travel at short notice
• Experience in gender programming, women’s empowerment and working with women’s organizations.
• Proven record of successful interaction with individuals from a diverse array of backgrounds, including government officials, traditional leaders, women, youth, etc;
• Demonstrable experience conducting and analyzing field and internet research and being a part of a research team
• Knowledge of computer programs, including Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Excel; SPSS and other statistical softwares
• Experience in program management and logistics;
• Punctuality, intellectual curiosity, willingness to take initiative, multi-tasking, and willingness to work under pressure to meet deadlines.

Application Closing Date
23rd November, 2018 .

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should send their current CV (not to exceed 2 pages), a Letter explaining your interest in this position and detailing relevant achievements, and the contact information for 2 professional references (employers, professors, etc) to: wadhivacancy@outlook.com

Click Here to Download Full Job Description (Pdf)

Note

• Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.
• Only successful candidates will be contacted.