GENDER AND HUMANITARIAN SPECIALIST (PROGRAMME)
Advertised on behalf of : Location : Bogot�, COLOMBIA
Application Deadline : 08-Jun-14
Additional Category
Women's Empowerment
Type of Contract : FTA Local
Post Level : NO-C
Languages Required : English Spanish
Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start)
01-Jul-2014
Duration of Initial Contract : 1 year (renewable based on performance and funding)
Expected Duration of Assignment : 1 year (renewable based on performance and funding)
Background
Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. Placing women's rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations System's efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. UN Women provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States' priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.
Country Context.
Colombia is a middle-income country with a GDP of US$10,587. However, its wealth is very unequally dispersed: more than one-third of the population lives under the national poverty line and more than 10 per cent live in absolute poverty (less than $1.25 per day). Partners and people whom the delegation met emphasized that there are 'two Colombia's' (visible in the contrast between Guapi and Bogota), with inequalities among land tenure being a significant contributor to this situation.
The more than half-century-long armed conflict in Colombia continues to cause violence, confinement and displacement with a disproportionate impact on indigenous people and Afro-Colombians in rural areas. In 2013 to date, around 17,000 people have been displaced (more than 99,300 people were displaced in 2012) and some 70,000 people have been confined or blockaded during fighting. There are ongoing violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, hundreds of civilian casualties of landmines each year, reports of high rates of sexual violence against women and girls and recruitment and use of children in conflict.
Colombia is increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters. In 2012, more than 970,000 people were affected by natural disasters across the country, including flooding and landslides, and in 2013 to date some 550,000 people have been affected. Many natural disasters affect those impacted by the armed conflict.
Forced internal displacement is a dramatic situation that occurs often within the critical humanitarian context that Colombia suffers, particularly in communities close to the border areas. According to OCHA Colombia, internal displacement has increased considerable during 2012-2013; according to the National Unit for Victims' Assistance and Reparation (UARIV), data between 1985 and 2014 (closing date 21 January 2014) have recorded 5,368,138 cases of displacement and 3,931 cases of crimes against sexual integrity and freedom.
This situation is even worse for indigenous and Afro-Colombian population because of their dispersion, high degree of vulnerability and abandonment by state services and precisely because these groups are located in geographic areas where the conflict is most acute.
In that context, the women and girls displaced by the conflict are especially vulnerable and exposed to risk of sexual violence and other types of gender based violence (GBV). The CONPES 3784 document – Public Policy on Risk Prevention, Protection and Guarantee of the Rights of Women Victims of Armed Conflict (issued in November 2013) highlights that women are victims of grave and particular forms of violence in the framework of the armed conflict. According to the National Information Network (RNI), as of January 21st 2014, 2,739,361 women are or have been in a situation of displacement since the beginning of the armed conflict in Colombia – 51% of the total displaced population; 281,009 were Victims of murder – 44% of the total. As for crimes against sexual integrity and freedom, women represent 85% of the reported victims (with a total of 3,375 female victims as of January 21st 2014), although a situation of underreporting for these types of crime is well recognized by State entities. Women are also the main recipient of threats, representing 51% of the total of 132,125 threats reported. However, in the area of sexual violence it is worth mentioning that there is a lack of a consolidated information system that combines data obtained from different institutional sources. This important absence impedes establishing a proper picture of the magnitude and importance of this type of crime. This lack of information is even more profound in rural areas, with scattered communities and weaker presence of institutional response mechanisms to attend sexual violence victims.
The Gender and Humanitarian Specialist (Programme) will provide technical leadership and support on Gender Equality Programming in Humanitarian Action in the UN Women Country Office in Colombia
Objectives and Expected Outputs
The objectives of the work of the Gender and Humanitarian Specialist will be to translate the UN and UN Women`s gender in humanitarian action strategic plans into results and to facilitate and strengthen the capacity and leadership of UN agencies and other humanitarian stakeholders to undertake and promote gender responsive humanitarian programming.
This will help ensure the distinct needs of women, girls, boys and men of all ages, are taken into account in humanitarian action in Colombia. This will require experience and in-depth understanding of gender equality and women's empowerment issues, as well as expertise on humanitarian coordination and leadership and understanding of the Humanitarian Action Transformative Agenda.
Priority Areas of Intervention:
The Gender and Humanitarian Specialist will focus on four priority areas of intervention:
1) Technical support and results-based management - Information and analysis of the gender issues
within the changing humanitarian context and strategic programme planning assistance
2) Coordination, partnership and resource mobilization - support Maintaining gender equality and women's empowerment as key facets in the Coordination of the humanitarian system
3) Capacity-building and knowledge management - Capacity building of key humanitarian stakeholders on the issues of gender equality and women's empowerment in the humanitarian context
4) Evidence-based advocacy and communication - on the issues of gender equality and women's empowerment to ensure its continued focus in all strategic humanitarian planning and transition to recovery and development.
The Gender and Humanitarian Specialist will also need to enhance awareness, commitment, visibility and resources to advance gender equality and women's empowerment in the current context and beyond through the development of mutually reinforcing partnerships with humanitarian stakeholders, civil society, and the local and national international institutions, including relevant UN entities and bilateral donors.
The Gender and Humanitarian Specialist will report to the UN Women Country Representative, who will provide strategic leadership and oversight and will work in closed coordination with Programme Specialist and National Officer, Under the overall guidance of the UN Women Representative the Gender and Humanitarian Specialist will provide technical support to the humanitarian partners and UN system. The Gender Specialist will also work very closely with the other programme teams within UN Women Country Office.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the UN Women Country Representative the Gender and Humanitarian Specialist will support the implementation of the following key activities:
1. Technical support and results-based management:
Support the implementation of the Colombia Humanitarian Strategy by supporting the Humanitarian Coordination and Leadership with gender analysis, capacity building and technical assistance throughout humanitarian programme cycle.
Contribute to and support the implementation of regular assessments and gender analysis as relevant to humanitarian issues and assist sectors/clusters to incorporate sex and age disaggregated data into assessment, programming and monitoring frameworks.
Support the interagency clusters and partners to revise planning documents, and integrate gender into results frameworks, indicators and related monitoring and results tracking systems.
Support the GenCap Specialist, if available in country in implementing the Gender Marker and integrating gender related performance indicators.
Apply existing gender equality tools and implement capacity-building training activities to enhance the skill and knowledge of the humanitarian system's staff on gender mainstreaming in humanitarian action and recovery.
Support the development and implementation of specific gender-focused humanitarian flagship technical projects as appropriate to UN Women's Response Strategy. These will be based on principles of comparative advantage/added value, complementarity and synergies to existing programmes and will include concrete deliverables and performance indicators.
2. Coordination, partnership and resource mobilization support:
Undertake fact finding missions to the crisis-affected areas and communities hosting IDPs to assess the humanitarian and human rights situation of IDPs / returnees.
Support and develop UN Women's engagement in existing coordination mechanisms and enhance the coherence of the UN system in promoting gender equality concerns in humanitarian response as well as possible Transitional Plans.
As designated and in coordination with the Humanitarian Country Team, participate in and support relevant inter-agency and UN inter-agency tasks forces.
S upport the development of partnerships with civil society and national gender machineries for key humanitarian and recovery programming initiatives and build synergies for effective gender equality programming and advocacy.
Contribute to the streamlining and effectiveness of the UNDAF Gender Thematic Group work-plan with priorities in Humanitarian Action when possible.
Support the cross sectorial coordination efforts of the UNCT and IASC at both the national and local levels, in particular with regards to the protection and early recovery.
Support the development of strategic partnerships and alliances at the country level to promote gender equality and women's advancement through joint projects and interagency efforts in coordination with the UN Women programme focus areas.
3. Capacity Building and Knowledge Management:
Facilitate capacity building activities which should include gender concepts, engendering information and analysis and incorporation of gender in planning frameworks.
Facilitate and support the integration of gender perspectives through adapting and implementing the checklists available in the gender handbook and guidelines to support the strategic planning, design, programming of various sectors/clusters.
Assisting sectors/clusters in setting up or adapting existing systems to monitor the progress in gender mainstreaming.
Identify needs and opportunities to provide inter-agency capacity building support across sectors/ clusters in coordination and with the support of the GenCap Specialist if/ when present.
Support country staff capacity development to engage in needs assessments and in supporting humanitarian coordination and responses from a gender perspective
Contribute to and develop UN Women knowledge and practice in humanitarian action.
4.. Evidence-based Advocacy and Communication :
Collect and analyze gender baseline information and sex and age disaggregated data and advocate its use by sectors/clusters in development and implementation of needs assessments, activities and monitoring and reporting efforts.
Provide technical support to and identify opportunities for the development of relevant advocacy and communication/information materials to address gender equality issues, including support to HC/RC advocacy efforts based on evidence.
Liaise with the various working groups (Protection, Gender Thematic, IDP, and IASC) to support the common understanding of key issues and to develop common messages and approaches for advocacy.
Advocate on behalf of UN Women and its mandate to help raise awareness and to stimulate action to advance gender equality and women's rights within humanitarian contexts by, inter alia, forming strategic partnerships with government, UN agencies, NGOs, academia, media and the private sector.
Identify and work with gender advisers, gender focal points, GBV managers and SEA focal points in other agencies and organisations (including governments, INGOs, local NGOs, community and women's groups), to strengthen coordination and joint advocacy
Impact of Results
The impact of the Gender and Humanitarian Specialist role will be to change humanitarian practices in South Sudan that benefit outcomes for women and girls by:
Enhancing coordination and accountability for gender mainstreaming in humanitarian action
Promoting consistency and sustainability in addressing gender equality and women's empowerment concerns
Strengthening the capacity and effectiveness of UN Women's office together with the national gender machinery and civil society
Competencies
CORE VALUES / GUIDING PRINCIPLES: Integrity: Demonstrating consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.
Professionalism: Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work.
Cultural Sensitivity/Valuing diversity: Demonstrating an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrating an international outlook, appreciating differences in values and learning from cultural diversity.
CORE COMPETENCIES: Ethics and Values: Promoting Ethics and Integrity / Creating Organizational Precedents
Organizational Awareness: Building support and political acumen
Developing and Empowering People / Coaching and Mentoring: Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation at the community level
Working in Teams: Building and promoting effective teams
Communicating Information and Ideas: Creating and promoting an enabling environment through open communication, especially with local women groups
Self-management and Emotional intelligence: Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behavior towards others.
Conflict Management / Negotiating and Resolving Disagreements: Address conflicts proactively, acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution.
Knowledge Sharing / Continuous Learning: Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning
Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making: Fair, transparent, creative and informed decision
making.
FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:
Ability to pragmatically apply her/his superior knowledge and experience related to current policies and practices in the fields of gender equality, women's empowerment and humanitarian action.
Strong communications skills, with proven expertise in writing and presenting cogent and convincing policy and programme documents and ideas.
Proven analytical and problem solving skills.
Effectiveness in establishing and fostering good relations with humanitarian counterparts, UN agencies, NGOs, national and local partners and donors.
Promotes knowledge management in UN Women and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example
Development and Operational Effectiveness
Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting
Ability to lead the formulation. Implementation, management and monitoring of projects
Solid knowledge of financial and human resources management, contract, asset and procurement, information and communication technology, general administration
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities
Required Skills and Experience
Education
Advanced University Degree or master in social sciences, political science, international affairs, local development, international development studies, gender/women's studies, human rights or a related technical field.
Experience
At least 5 years of relevant, progressively responsible experience in the management of humanitarian programming - preferably in conflict and post- conflict settings - and with a focus on promoting gender equality in the humanitarian context. Experience working with governments, donors, civil society organizations at the national and local levels and directly with communities.
Professional project management, monitoring and evaluation experience.
Familiarity and experience with humanitarian system coordination and results-based management would be an asset.
Experience working within the UN and in inter-agency coordination would be also an asset.
Language Requirements
Fluency in oral and written English and Spanish
IMPORTANT
Only on-line applications which contain a signed UNDP P11 form and introduction letter will be considered. You can find P-11 form at http://sas.undp.org/Documents/P11_Personal_history_form-es.docx
Only Nationals from Colombia are eligible to apply.
UN System internal candidates may be applying for this position.We strongly encourage qualified women and men to apply
UNWOMEN is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.