Safeguarding, Gender and Inclusion Coordinator

Self Help Africa Malawi

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Advert for Safeguarding, Gender and Inclusion Coordinator  

Self Help Africa Malawi works to create opportunities for lasting improvement in peoples’ lives. We work in partnership with others to support a range of livelihoods and food security, WASH and health, sustainable energy and gender equality programmes reaching over 1,000,000 people a year across Malawi. Our long-term vision is sustainable livelihoods and healthy lives for all in a changing climate. This is an exciting time to join us as we seek to tackle development and humanitarian challenges in progressive and innovative ways.

Self Help Africa is an international development organisation, and is committed to the safeguarding of all those who we come into contact with or through our work. We are committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour relating to our work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and we are committed to promoting the welfare of children and the people we aim to assist with whom Self Help Africa engages. Self Help Africa expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and uphold the values and behaviours outlined in the Code of Conduct and Child and Adult Safeguarding Policy, inside and outside of work hours. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us. Recruitment to all roles in Self Help Africa may include, and be subject to, a criminal records self-declaration, references, and other pre-employment checks, which may include police and qualifications checking. Self Help Africa is committed to the principles of the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and will request information from previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse or sexual harassment during employment. By submitting an application, the applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Research shows that women and those from marginalised ethnic groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single requirement. If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align with every criteria described, we encourage you to apply anyway, you could be exactly what we need!

Job Purpose

The Safeguarding, Gender & Inclusion Coordinator will provide technical and coordination support to programme teams and departments to ensure SHA’s programmes in Malawi do not cause harm to stakeholders and staff and are safe and responsive to gender and inclusion and other power dynamics. The post holder will work with different departments and teams across the organisation and in programming in order to build and strengthen staff capacity and to ensure the country programme is mitigating risk and delivering high quality programming that meets the needs of women and vulnerable people.

Key responsibilities

  1. Safeguarding
  • Coordinate SHA Malawi’s dynamic safeguarding committee, working towards the KPIs in the annual plan, which is to ensure operations and activities align with the Core Humanitarian Standard
  • Coordinate Safeguarding Focal Points across the Malawi CP projects, building their capacity in safeguarding, monitoring their delivery against their TORs and bespoke safeguarding project plans, and inspire innovative ideas to collaborate about the development and effectively communicate feedback channels at community level – in the right language, age appropriate and culturally sensitive manner as safeguarding can be a taboo subject
  • Monitor safeguarding risk and design mitigation measures in line with technical input from the Global Safeguarding lead
  • Provide inputs into SHA’s localisation and partnership approach and work directly with partners on assessing and increasing safeguarding capacity.
  • Work with the HR department to ensure a safe employment cycle is embedded throughout the department

2. Accountability

In line with Self Help Africa’s commitments under the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS):

  • actively promote meaningful community participation and consultation at all stages of the project cycle (planning, implementation, M&E);
  • work with relevant colleagues to ensure that the Community Feedback and Response Mechanism (CFRM) is functional and accessible, that feedback and complaints are welcomed and addressed;
  • work with relevant colleagues to ensure that information about CFRM, safeguarding and expected staff behaviour is disseminated among programme participants and communities.

3. Gender

  • Lead on SHA’s Gender Policy/Strategy development, implementation, monitoring, and review (as necessary) through the implementation of the action plan across programmes and coordination of the Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) Technical Working Group and Gender Focal Points.
  • Provide inputs to SHA’s strategic planning and budgeting processes in relation to gender
  • Undertake training on gender with staff and partner staff so they are competent and confident in the use of SHA approaches to mainstreaming gender.
  • Engage with SHA’s technical advisers and programme managers to provide technical support on integrating gender and protection principles.
  • Be responsible for assessing, collecting, processing, analysing and extracting gender data and information for further planning of programmes.
  • Provide technical support to programme staff and compile and develop additional tools and guidance materials to strengthen the integration of SHA’s transformative approach.
  • Facilitate and assist in the timely submission of regular reports (monthly, quarterly and annual)
  • Support SHA’s Gender Focal Points to foster a culture sensitive to gender and organise events to enhance employee understanding of equality and inclusion issues
  • Stay informed on global and SHA-specific trends and initiatives on gender, and safeguarding through SHA Global Advisors.
  • Collaborate with the M&E team to ensure gender perspectives and related indicators are included in the monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning systems of all projects
  • Provide technical input to proposal development and pursue   opportunities for targeted gender activities and projects.
  • Contribute to thinking around research that could be undertaken to enhance our work on gender and inclusion.
  • Support the internal audit department to design and conduct an annual gender audit and inform recommendations to address findings
  • Represent Self Help Africa in meetings, fora, working groups and networks including the Malawi Irish Consortium Against Gender Based Violence to increase networking and sharing of experiences

4. Inclusion

  • Build off the disability inclusion audit and collaborate to design an inclusion action plan for the country programme
  • Collaborate with the M&E team to ensure inclusion perspectives and related indicators are included in the monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning systems of all projects
  • Provide technical input to proposal development team on inclusion activities to integrate into programme design.
  • Strengthen staff capacity on inclusion to advance knowledge, attitudes and skills through the development and delivery of trainings and awareness raising activities.

Minimum Requirements

  • Minimum of Bachelor’s degree in Gender, Development Studies, or related discipline
  • Minimum 5 years’ experience in working with gender programmes or projects or components on projects
  • Professional knowledge of quality standards and guidelines (e.g. IASC Guidelines on Integrating GBV Interventions, IASC Guidelines on protection mainstreaming, UNICEF PSEA, SPHERE, CHS);
  • Safeguarding training and minimum 2 years’ experience integrating safeguarding policy and principles into development or humanitarian programmes
  • Experience on inclusion actions or approaches to programme design
  • Experience with EU/Irish Aid/ECHO/ other institutional donor funding
  • Skills in training/facilitation and coordination, networking among different development partners
  • A mature self-starter, able to work independently, think critically and reflect and willing to take calculated risks to enable learning;
  • Good communication skills, excellent people management and  interpersonal skills preferably in an NGO;
  • Strong skills in speaking and writing English with solid computer skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, powerpoint and email, (Salesforce a plus)
  • Proven ability to motivate, provide technical support and guidance to a diverse team of staff and partners with minimum direct supervision.
  • Proven leadership and interpersonal skills and ability to build and motivate diverse and talented teams
  • Strong leadership skills, including strategic thinking, problem solving, effective communication and negotiating skills

Role Competencies

  • Excellent communication skills.
  • Ability to work as part of a team across different cultures.
  • Ability to work with minimum supervision and take initiative
  • Ability to solve problems and take corrective action.
  • High integrity and ability to evidence living by strong values
  • Understands own and colleagues’ roles, responsibilities, and professional boundaries, including what constitutes both organisational and professional abuse. Is able to raise concerns about conduct of colleagues.
  • Excellent interpersonal and supervisory skills

How to apply

Qualified and interested candidates who meet the stated requirements must submit a completed Application Form, downloadable on https://gsha.box.com/v/applicationform.  The completed application form should be uploaded together with the Cover letter, Curriculum Vitae and Copies Certificates saved in your name to https://selfhelpafrica.org/ie/careers-apply/?jbcd=500QD00000QGxWs%20-%20Advert%20for%20Safeguarding,%20Gender%20and%20Inclusion%20Coordinator%20(70976)

No hard copies / physical applications will be accepted. Please note the zipped Folder will not be accessed. 

Closing date for the receipt of completed application forms is 12:00 Midnight of 15nd December 2024. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted

Self Help Africa takes the safety and well-being of all those we work with, and our staff, very seriously. We have a zero-tolerance policy on abuse. Our recruitment is safe, meaning that we recruit staff with the highest values and standards of ethical behaviour. Self Help Africa has a Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy, which reflects our commitment to protecting the people with whom we work. All candidates will be expected to comply with this policy and its procedures.

For more information about SHA, please visit our website at http://www.selfhelpafrica.org.

SHA is an equal opportunity employer.