Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) Coordination Officer

Background

UN Women (UNW), grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, 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, the UN Women leads and coordinates the United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that the commitments to gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action in humanitarian response plans. As the war crisis in Ukraine continues and its impact on neighboring countries and host communities deepens, there is an increasing recognition among all the key actors that the development and humanitarian challenges arising from the crisis must be met with accelerated action and enhanced capacity. In this respect, UN Women Moldova Country Office is contributing to the United Nations processes to support the efforts of the Government of Moldova, I/NGOs, and UN Agencies on the humanitarian response to the refugee crisis and its impact on the host communities in Moldova.

As part of the country and regional response to the Ukraine crisis, UN Women Moldova CO repurposed and reprogrammed existing funds that helped swiftly respond to the rapidly evolving needs of civil society organizations focused on women’s rights and services. The funds were geared toward supporting women’s mobilization and leadership at the local level, and ensuring their voices and concerns guide decision-making at all levels. It has also helped provide immediate gender responsive assistance to refugee women and girls.

In the frame of overall refugee coordination structure, the Moldova CO provides technical gender expertise and policy advice to refugee response working groups and their members on gender in humanitarian action. UN Women is also contributing to the Refugee Response Plan in Moldova to ensure support for basic human rights and essential services for refugee women and girls, including tailored support to the most vulnerable and at-risk groups of women refugees (Roma, women with disabilities, and LGBIQ+); prevention of and early detection of and referral of GBV; and exploring livelihood opportunities in Moldova for Ukrainian women refugees.

In response to the crisis, UN Women in Moldova leverage its normative, coordination and operational mandate to ensure that refugee response is gender responsive, address the needs and priorities of women, girls, men and boys in all their diversity and capitalize on their capacities and skills. Against this backdrop, UN Women would like to bring on board a Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) Coordination Officer to provide regular gender-focused technical inputs and advisory support to refugee response coordination structures and processes.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the UN Women Country Representative, and the direct supervision from Programme Specialist, the GiHA Coordination Officer will perform the following duties:

Technical assistance and policy advice on gender in humanitarian action.
Participation in interagency humanitarian/refugee response coordination fora.
Capacity development of humanitarian/refugee response actors and local women’s organizations on gender in humanitarian action/refugee response.
Knowledge production and management on gender and humanitarian action/refugee response.

Specific responsibilities:

1. Provide gender-focused content and technical support to inter-agency refugee response coordination

Represent UN Women and the Gender Task Force (GTF) in refugee related coordination structures including sector and inter-sectoral meetings;
Provide gender inputs to the assessment methodologies planned to be conducted by different sectors/intersectoral efforts (i.e., MSNA);
Provide gender inputs to the regional refugee response plan and relevant processes;
Regularly review the sectors/working groups analysis documents (i.e. Need Assessments, Plans, reports, briefs etc ) to ensure that gender content and SAAD are systematically included;
Contribute to providing guidance and technical support on gender in humanitarian action/refugee response to the refugee coordination structure, planning and response;
Advocate for the engagement and meaningful participation of local women’s organizations in humanitarian/refugee coordination structures.

2. Contribute to the coordination and capacity-strengthening of the inter-agency Gender Task Force (GTF) in Moldova

Support the UN Women Representative in organizing and coordinating the GTF meetings (invitation, meeting minutes, consultations on agenda);
Contribute to the implementation of capacity building initiatives (including deliver trainings sessions) related to Gender in Humanitarian/refugee Response, GBV, and PSEA for the members of the GTF including local women CSOs, government representatives, and UN staff;
Ensure the GTF is represented in the refugee response sector leads meetings and that contributions of the GTF systematically inform the sector specific inter-sectoral refugee planning and response;
Coordinate proper monitoring and reporting for the capacity-building initiatives on gender in humanitarian action in collaboration with programme teams;
Advise UN Women team on strengthening engagement and coordinating on areas related to gender responsive refugee response, PSEA and GBV prevention and response.

3. Contribute to the development of data, relevant research, assessments, and knowledge products on gender-responsive

humanitarian action/refugee response

Provide inputs to policy recommendations, guidance and assessments on humanitarian action with a thorough focus on gender equality;
Work with women’s organizations and other partners on the production of sex-age-and-disability disaggregated data (SADDD);
Contribute to developing analytical reports, summaries and correspondence, and knowledge products on gender in humanitarian action/refugee response;
Participate in and contribute to policy dialogues around refugee response and the gender equality and the empowerment of women;
Contribute to the production of regular issue briefs and gender analyses i.e., Gender Alerts encompassing the work and lens of GTF members.

Any other duties as requested by supervisor.

Functions:

Systematic participation in and contribution to coordination fora including GTF;
Substantive support to programme coordination meetings and participation in organizational exercises;
Provide quarterly and final reports on coordination based on impact and results;
Promotion of knowledge management products and learning environment based on the programme, the partners and results achieved and updated database with information collected from partners.

Competencies

Core Values:

Respect for Diversity
Integrity
Professionalism

Core Competencies:

Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
Accountability
Creative Problem Solving
Effective Communication
Inclusive Collaboration
Stakeholder Engagement
Leading by Example

Functional Competencies

Ability to conduct multi-stakeholder coordination;
Ability to coach and train partners and humanitarian actors on gender equality concepts;
Very good oral and written communication skills. Ability to create, edit and present information in clear and presentable formats;
Very good data collection and research skills.
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude, and openness to change.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

Master’s degree in Public Administration, Humanities, Social sciences, Economics or related field
A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Additional training and certification in gender and/or humanitarian action would be an advantage.

Experience:

At least 5 years of experience in women’s empowerment, gender equality, human rights or other relevant fields.
Experience in humanitarian or crisis settings is an advantage;
Experience in the UN system, agencies and international organizations is an asset;
Experience in multi-stakeholder coordination and/or data collection/research is an asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English and Romanian is required.
Fluency in Russian is an asset.
Working knowledge of one or more additional languages relevant for Moldova, including Bulgarian, Gagauzian, Ukrainian, Romani or sign language is an advantage