Volunteer role: Gender Economic Empowerment Adviser (International Volunteer)

VSO is the world’s leading international development charity that works through volunteers to create a fair world for everyone. At VSO we pride ourselves on doing development differently. We fight poverty not by sending aid, but by working through volunteers and partners to create long-lasting change in some of the world’s poorest regions. We bring key stakeholders together to co-ordinate collective action, from local organisations to national governments.
In 2018/19, VSO supported over one million of the poorest and most excluded people in 23 countries across Africa and Asia. Our programmes focus on health, education and livelihoods, with an increasing emphasis on resilience, peace building, social accountability, gender and social inclusion. We’re not about delivering quick fixes, but instead we focus on long-lasting, sustainable change that will improve the lives of generations to come.

Role overview

Programme information
The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE), initiated by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), aims to create new jobs and make jobs more accessible for 200.000 young people (half of these women) in the target countries in the Middle East, North Africa, Sahel & West Africa and the Horn of Africa.

Role Overview

As a Gender Economic Empowerment Adviser you will:
•Develop knowledge products for the partners (definitions, guidance, tools, training, research) regarding gender responsive strategies in the employment sector for private sector partners.
•Advise on how to integrate and embed gender within the private sector into program and policy.
•Monitor the use and results of the framework implementation, with contextually appropriate indicators and measurement tools. And if necessary, provide further support and guidance in the use of the framework to support the development of robust evidence of gender economic empowerment.
•Develop the capacity building of the private sector on gender issues and process modules for integrating gender institutionally to create decent work for women that meets their aspirations and provides them voice and agency.
•Develop a strategy for the private sector to update and adopt gender equality mainstreaming policies and strategies within the private sector.
•Coordinate the baseline assessments in company and action plan settings to improve the gender equality.
•Develop the capacity of the programme, partners and external stakeholders on training frameworks and toolkits on gender & economic empowerment.
You will work in a multidimensional project team, with experts in different kinds of areas.

Skills, qualifications and experience

•A Bachelor/Master’s degree in Behavioural and Social Science, Gender, Development, international relations or related field
•Extensive experience (at least 5 years) working with corporate social responsibility, gender policies, implementation and advisory, gender economic empowerment.
•Experience and demonstrated result in integrations of gender in programming in the private sector.
•A demonstrated understanding of issues and challenges related to gender.
•Ability to work independently as well as take an advisory role with multiple stakeholders in a time-pressured environment.
•Cross cultural awareness and ability to work amongst a diverse group of staff, volunteer and partners.
•Good understanding of developing training modules and facilitation.
•Experience in mentoring on gender.
•Monitoring and evaluation experience
•Private sector experience is essential.
•Attention to detail and ability to effectively and efficiently perform multiple tasks and balance competing priorities.

Competencies and Behaviour

At VSO we believe progress is only possible by working together. Whether you want to join us as an employee, or as a volunteer working in your own country, overseas or online, our selection process includes an assessment based on these core competencies:

• Ability to be open minded and respectful
• Ability to be resilient and adaptive to new situations
• Ability to facilitate positive change and build sustainable working relationships
• Ability to seek and share knowledge

In the last 60 years, we have worked in over 90 countries and supported over 50 million people. We’ve gone from being a UK charity to a truly global development organisation.
Our proven approach works with volunteers of different skillsets, from overseas consultants to youth. These volunteers work alongside community organisations, local and national governments, and global partners. Right now, VSO is bringing justice to rape survivors in Pakistan, building resilient disaster prevention and relief in Mozambique, ending stigma against children with disabilities in Ethiopia and tackling the youth skills gap in Uganda and Bangladesh.
Today over 50% of our people are recruited from within the country in which they work, and we continue to grow the share of community and national volunteers involved in our programmes. We also send increasing numbers of volunteers from one developing country to another. However, our vision has remained the same: create a fair world for everyone.

Equal Opportunities
VSO promotes equal opportunities and values a diverse workforce.

Allowance

As a VSO volunteer, you will be sharing your skills with local communities on a full time basis. VSO will cover your travel, vaccinations, accommodation, and medical insurance costs, along with a local living allowance which will be paid in local currency. This allowance meets reasonable living expenses in country, but will not be enough to send money home. You will also receive some financial support to contribute to your on-going expenses at home.

Accommodation

VSO works with some of the poorest communities in the world which means accommodation varies and will be basic.

Some background about VSO

Much has changed since VSO started 60 years ago. We’ve gone from being a UK charity to a truly global development organisation. In 2016/2017 alone, we worked with over 7,000 volunteers from all over the world and from all backgrounds to deliver services that had an impact on the lives of almost 2.6 million people in the 24 countries where we work. Our programmes focus on the areas of health, education and livelihoods, with an increasing emphasis on resilience building, social accountability, gender and social inclusion. We believe progress is only possible when we work together and that strong partnerships are crucial to delivering positive change. That’s why we work with over 500 partner organisations, from local and national governments, to businesses, NGOs, funders, charities and community groups. Currently, over 30% of our people are recruited from within the country in which they work, and we continue to grow the share of community and national volunteers involved in our programmes. We also send increasing numbers of volunteers from one developing country to another. However, our vision has remained the same; to build a world without poverty.

If you’re interested in applying for this role, please download the job description for more information.