Programme Specialist

Background

UN Women, 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. UN Women also provides strategic and technical support to government, CSOs and women’s organizations for the joint effort to ensure gender equality and the empowerment of women (GEWE).

UN Women Ethiopia Country Office (ECO) Strategic Notes (SN) 2021-2025 and 2022 Annual Work Plan (AWP) are aligned to and contribute towards the effective implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF 2020-2025) which outlines the vision and strategic focus of the United Nations in Ethiopia and its support to the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) in the implementation of the Ten-Year Perspective Development Plan - Ethiopia 2030: The Pathways to Prosperity (2020 – 2030). The SN is also grounded in UN Women global Strategic Plan (2021-

2025) and aligned to major international, regional and national commitments on gender equality and women’s empowerment. The SN is organized along 4 pillar outcomes namely (1) All people in Ethiopia enjoy the rights and capabilities to realize their potential in equality and with dignity; (2) All people in Ethiopia live in a cohesive, just, inclusive and democratic society; (3)All people in Ethiopia benefit from an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable economy and (4) All people in Ethiopia live in a society resilient to environmental risks and adapted to climate change under which it addresses thematic issues such as women’s participation in leadership and decision-making, women’s economic empowerment, addressing violence against women and girls (VAWG), gender responsive budgeting, gender in humanitarian action and coordination and normative support.

A critical area of engagement for UN Women ECO has been providing institutional support to national gender machineries including the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs (formerly Ministry of Women, Children and Youth) (MoWSA), sectoral ministries and regional counterparts. UN Women ECO will continue providing advisory support to increase capacities and advocacy for gender mainstreaming; coordination and oversight of gender related law and policy development and implementation; harmonization and collaboration among partners involved in combating discrimination against women; monitoring and accountability systems for implementation of Ethiopia’s CEDAW commitments; and mechanisms for consistent responses to women and girls’ needs and priorities.

In this context, UN Women Ethiopia is seeking a Programme Specialist - Gender to support the Minister of MoWSA. While the position is based in the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, it requires significant liaising with UN Women ECO. The role may encompass travel requirements to different regional states of Ethiopia. Under the overall contract supervision of UN Women’s National Programme Coordinator and the guidance of the Minister of Women and Social Affairs, the Programme Specialist is responsible for providing strategic technical guidance and support including for the development of the national gender policy and gender equality roadmap, implementation of the gender focused targets and indicators under the 10 Years Development plan

Duties and Responsibilities

Functions

Provide technical support on the development, implementation, monitoring and reporting of UN Women’s
Strategic note, programmes and projects
Develop institutional capacity for policy and strategy development on gender equality and women’s empowerment Provide technical guidance to the revision of the National Women’s Policy and the design of a gender equality policy for Ethiopia
Provide technical support in the preparation of the Gender Equality Roadmap for Ethiopia
Review policies and strategies on GEWE and their alignment to international, regional and national instruments and recommend their revision where necessary
Ensure that inclusive and participatory processes are adhered to in the policy and strategy development process, including women in vulnerable situations

1. Provide technical support to the Implementation of the 10 Years Development Plan and the Sector Plan of the

Ministry of Women and Social Affairs

Provide strategic guidance in the design of implementation mechanisms for new initiatives identified in the 10 Years Development Plan
Identify partners and key stakeholders for the implementation of the initiatives and devise mechanisms for collaboration
Design resource mobilization strategies for the implementation of the initiatives
Provide technical assistance on systems to track progress on the implementation of the plan and strengthen monitoring and evaluation process

2. Provide technical advice to the Minister on gender equality and women’s empowerment and the mainstreaming

gender into laws, policies, and strategies in the Country

Provide technical advice on the mainstreaming of gender into laws, polices and strategies developed in the country
Review and give feedback on project proposals, international and national agreements, and the corresponding periodic reports
Provide technical support to assess the consistent application of Affirmative actions by different sectors and regional bureaus.
Provide technical assistance to support the mainstreaming of gender and accountability mechanisms through the revision of tools and systems as well as putting in place capacity building initiatives both internally and externally
Provide technical assistance in the development of a Joint program that governs engagement with MoWSA

3. Coordinate the implementation and reporting on for international and regional human rights frameworks, SDGs and other commitments

Provide technical advice to the minister on signing, acceding to and ratifying international treaties and commitments (e.g. UNSCR 1325 on the Women Peace and Security Agenda, the Violence and Harassment Convention) considering the interest of women and values and principles of the country
Provide technical support to the minister by preparing briefs, presentations, talking points and agendas for participation in high level international and regional meetings on gender equality and women’s empowerment
Coordinate the preparation of periodic reports on international and regional commitments on gender equality and women’s empowerment (including periodic reports on CEDAW, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, Maputo Protocol etc.)
Provide technical support to the implementation and monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Goal 5 and other gender equality indicators

4. Strengthen Partnership between MoWSA, UN Women and other partners

Align support to the MoWSA with the plans and goals of UN Women
Facilitate coordination and communication between UN Women and the office of the minister
Provide technical support to the MoWSA to develop appropriate strategies and programmes for effective implementation of UN Women’s thematic priorities
Devise mechanisms to strengthen UN Women’s credibility and visibility among international organizations, UN Agencies, donors, inter-governmental organizations to enhance collaboration and resource mobilization
Coordinate the regularization of partnership platforms
Provide recommendations on forging and strengthening partnerships with the private sector to enhance the participation and benefit of women
Coordinate the activities of the Ethiopian Chapter of the African Women Leaders’ Network (AWLN)
Oversee the drafting and submission of a periodic report on the joint programme between UN Women and the MoWSA

5. Provide Technical Assistance for Advocacy and Knowledge Building

Provide technical support in t the preparation of communication and advocacy strategies and action plans of the Miinistry
Provide technical and coordination support to the organization of high-level conferences, advocacy meetings and events
Provide innovative content and materials for advocacy and awareness creation on issues pertinent to UN Women’s mandates of ensuring gender equality and the empowerment of women
Prepare speeches and briefing notes for the minster’s engagement in high level events and forums
Provide technical assistance on the proper functioning of the National Gender information System (NGIS) and the analysis of data to influence policy and programmes
Liaise with academic and research institutes to undertake studies and assessments on the economic, social and political participation of women and girls and coordinate regularized gender research seminars

Competencies

Core Values:

Integrity
Professionalism
Respect for Diversity

Core Competencies

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

Functional Competencies

Technical capability on women’s rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment
Strong programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills
Ability to develop detailed operational plans, budgets, and deliver on them
Strong analytical skills and knowledge of Results Based Management
Good knowledge of UN programme management systems
Knowledge in gender and development/normative and institutional aspects
A proven ability to liaise with a variety of stakeholders and partners, including government, legislative bodies, media, civil society, international organizations;
An excellent understanding of the legal, social, cultural, and political context of Ethiopia and its relation to gender.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

Master’s degree in Law, Human Rights, Social Sciences, Political Science, Development, Public Administration, Social work, Sociology Gender is required.
A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
A project/programme management certification would be an added advantage

Experience

A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in programme management, programmatic and technical support(including programme design, programme coordination, monitoring and evaluation, donor reporting and capacity building); international development work preferably focused on, or strongly involving gender equality and women’s empowerment
Previous experience in providing capacity building support to government institutions
Experience in result-based management.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in written and spoken English and Amharic is required
Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset