Gender Equality Officer

POSITION TITLE	Gender Equality Officer
POSITION LOCATION	Jamaica
REPORTS TO	Country Coordinator
APPLICATION DEADLINE	14th April, 2023
EXPECTED START DATE	April to May 2023

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Are you a gender expert?  WUSC Caribbean is currently looking for a Gender Equality Officer to support the integration of gender and youth across all programming components for Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean (SAC) Project in Jamaica.

BACKGROUND

World University Service of Canada (registered as WUSC Caribbean in the Caribbean), is a Canadian non-profit organization working to create a better world for all young people. We bring together a diverse network of students, volunteers, schools, governments, and businesses who share this vision. Together, we develop solutions in education, economic opportunities, and empowerment to overcome inequality and exclusion for youth around the world, particularly young women and young refugees.  WUSC currently works in 25+ countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $40 million. We have over 90 staff in our Ottawa office and over 200 people overseas implementing 16 development projects in collaboration with donors such as Global Affairs Canada, the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Mastercard Foundation, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the African Development Bank.

WUSC Caribbean is implementing the Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean (SAC) Project, which promotes climate resilient agriculture for equitable economic growth to increase the economic prosperity of women and youth (female/male) in more sustainable agricultural markets in the Caribbean. The SAC Project is a multi-country economic growth project, funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) implemented in Dominica; Guyana; Jamaica; Saint Lucia; and Suriname.

Women and youth (f/m) are central players in targeted agricultural market systems so they can restore the dwindling number of farmers in the region, while strengthening more climate resilient domestic agricultural production to enhance food security, and reduce reliance on imported agricultural products, for more sustainable economic growth. Recognizing that adult males are currently dominant actors in market systems, the SAC Project also works with men, so they can become advocates for women and youth (f/m) fostering the right conditions for equitable participation. The SAC Project engages agricultural markets in each of the target countries and provides capacity-building support to local organizations.

WUSC Caribbean applies an Inclusive Market Systems (IMS) approach, engaging multiple stakeholders, including established country partners, to create links between key market actors; strengthen their capacity through training, information sharing and outreach; and foster climate resilient approaches (re-orienting agricultural development for sustainability), at every stage and via every market actor in the agricultural value chain. This approach helps to mitigate the impacts of climate change, reduce the region’s vulnerability to natural disasters, and foster climate-resilient agricultural markets that offer increased, sustainable economic benefits for women and youth (f/m).

RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the supervision of the Country Coordinator, the Gender Equality Officer (GEO) will be responsible for:

• Supporting the integration of gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) focusing on women and youth across all programming components of the SAC Project;
• Continued identification and analysis of gender equality and youth issues to inform the development of Gender Equality and Youth program strategies. This involves ongoing networking, research, data analysis, and program design;
• Using an inclusive market systems approach, support the design and planning of gender equality and youth focused activities, in collaboration with the Country Coordinator as well as with other country and regional specialists to integrate approaches into planning, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the SAC Project;
• Identify market stakeholders, partners, approving content, and advising on collaboration;
• Supporting appropriate budgeting and planning across all activities to support the integration of gender equality and youth specific implementation activities and program team support into annual work plans (AWP);
• In collaboration with program colleagues (including Senior Management and the WUSC Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Advisor), support with designing and delivering of training or identifying best-suited resources for delivering training as required to support GESI initiatives in the project – including developing / supporting the development of gender sensitive and inclusive training content and materials for SAC project staff, consultants, and partners;
• Developing gender sensitive and inclusive practical tools and guides for colleagues to support IMS project implementation, including gender analysis, engagement in design, use of planning and M&E tools and institutional capacity building;
• Supporting gender equality and youth tracking in the SAC M&E system in collaboration with colleagues and make recommendations based on the findings to inform the development of the country gender equality and youth strategies;
• In collaboration with M&E colleagues and other country level staff, facilitate the collection of quality sex, age and diversity disaggregated data, analysis, and reporting at the country level to inform program level reporting;
• Liaise and collaborate with the WUSC HQ-based Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Advisor assigned to support the SAC project;
• Support the work of WUSC gender equality and youth volunteer(s) to link to work undertaken in-country and provide ongoing relevant monitoring, coaching and collaboration as needed;
• Collecting and documenting lessons learned and propose adaptations to gender and youth initiatives based on market stakeholder feedback from monitoring exercises as well as developing case studies for learning and project communications;
• Support women and youth’s (f/m) equitable access to inclusive agricultural markets, leadership and decision-making opportunities, and business negotiation skills by facilitating equitable access to training, information, technology, inputs and services within SAC partner organizations / groups / networks;
• Ensure that women and youth voices are heard consistently in the design, planning and implementation of the SAC project strategies, plans and program components;
• Support the development of communications and information materials as well as case studies and visibility pieces that promote women and youth in agriculture;
• Ensure that information is provided for Annual and Semi Annual Reports to report against SAC project expected results and pillars, as well as the performance measurement framework (PMF) indicators (reporting is distinct for the SAC project gender equality strategy and the youth strategy);
• Staying connected and aware of national and regional initiatives that may duplicate or provide opportunities for collaboration or leveraging with the Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean project on GE and Youth activities in particular; and
• Other relevant duties and responsibilities that may arise.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

Education

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification (formal qualifications) in social science, education, gender development, community development, adult and/or youth learning, agriculture or other relevant field.

Experience & Competencies

• At least 3 years of experience in designing and implementing gender equality and youth activities, preferably in the agriculture sector and/or related to marketing and entrepreneurship;
• Background in designing programs that integrate gender equality and social inclusion, youth programming, management and address advocacy in the agriculture sector;
• Knowledge and understanding of inclusive market systems approach, issues and challenges in the agricultural sector, particularly those facing female and youth buyers, producers and smallholder farmers, in Jamaica and the Caribbean more broadly;
• Practical knowledge of project cycle and results-based management (RBM) approaches;
• Proven leadership, initiative, interpersonal, cross-cultural, coordination, facilitation skills, and ability to motivate and work as a key member of a diverse country & regional team;
• Adaptable and flexible, with the ability and initiative to generate or find new ways of working to manage internal and external changes that affect project implementation or organizational change;
• Experience working and collaborating with diverse sets of stakeholders, including women, youth, private sector entities, buyers or consolidators, farmers and producers, producer groups, civil society organizations, networks, government and research institutions;
• Experience and understanding of environmental, gender, governance and youth issues and in planning and developing training curriculum targeting gender and youth development;
• Motivated, self-starter; and
• Curious, enthusiastic and willing to innovate and adapt.

Languages

• Complete fluency in written and spoken English is required.

WHY WORK WITH WUSC?

Join Us. Our work is important, cutting-edge, and fast-paced. We encourage curiosity, innovation, and flexibility, and we provide a phenomenal learning experience.

WUSC offers a dynamic international work environment with a diverse intercultural workforce. We offer employees exciting opportunities to apply their skills and gain experience all while making a difference in the lives of youth around the world. Employees at WUSC Caribbean work hard to create lasting change in education, economic opportunities, and empowerment.

APPLICATIONS

WUSC’s activities seek to balance inequities and create sustainable development around the globe; the work ethic of our staff, volunteers, representatives and partners shall correspond to the values and mission of the organization. WUSC Caribbean promotes responsibility, respect, honesty, and professional excellence and will not tolerate harassment, coercion, sexual exploitation or abuse of any form. Successful applicants will be required to undertake an enhanced criminal record check where appropriate.

WUSC Caribbean is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

This position is open to all suitably qualified CARICOM Nationals.  Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. No telephone calls please.

Suitably qualified persons are invited to submit their cover letter, CV, and the name and contact information of 3 professional references  via email to[email protected] by the 14^th of April, 2023.  Please use the subject line Gender Equality Officer – Jamaica for job applications.

While WUSC thanks all applicants for their interest, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews

The Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean Project is implemented by World University Service of Canada (WUSC) with funding support from the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada (GAC)