ABANTU FOR DEVELOPMENT
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR A GENDER EQUALITY ADVISOR IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN GHANA, IVORY COAST AND GUINEA
Position: Gender Equality Advisor in the Context of Climate Change Adaptation in Ghana, Ivory Coast and Guinea.
Location: ABANTU’S office in Accra, Ghana, with out of station travels in the project locations in Ghana, Ivory Coast and Guinea.
Project Title: “Nature-based Climate Adaptation in the Guinean forests of West Africa (Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea)”
Line Manager: Head of Programmes, ABANTU for Development
Functional links: Other Gender advisors and other specialists of the project “Nature-based Climate Adaptation in the Guinean forests of West Africa” based in Ghana, Cote Ivoire and Guinea
Contract duration: One-year contract renewable upon satisfactory performance in year 1.
BACKGROUND
The general objective of the project “Nature-based Climate Adaptation in the Guinean forests of West Africa” is to strengthen local and regional capacities in terms of nature-based solutions to climate change adaptation (CCA) and to foster women’s transformational leadership in this field. The project will engage with a wide range of stakeholders including women’s organizations and local and national organizations to prioritize locally relevant solutions. The project will adopt a systems approach to support climate adaptation with interventions focusing on planning, testing and scaling up solutions and contributing to improved gender equality (GE) as well as positive impacts in terms of biodiversity. It will support the restoration and reforestation of degraded forests and habitats, both on family farms and other tenures, and strengthen the coping strategies and livelihoods of women, their families and communities in order to protect and restore biodiversity in this critical global hotspot.
This multi-country project is implemented in consortium by World University Service of Canada (WUSC) and CECI with IUCN, CIFOR-ICRAF, the University of Guelph and ABANTU for Development with the financial support of the Government of Canada. In each country, key stakeholders include local and national government agencies, regional institutions, the private sector, women ‘s groups and environmental organizations.
This initiative relies on WUSC’s and CECI’s decades of experience in supporting vulnerable populations and leverages the experience of a range of local and international partners who bring strong expertise in climate adaptation with nature-based solutions (NBS).
As part of the implementation of the activities of this regional project in Ghana, Cote Ivoire and Guinea, ABANTU wishes to recruit a Gender Equality Advisor in the context of Climate Change Adaptation.
The GE Advisor will be responsible for defining the GE capacity building strategies and activities for the project in the three target countries in close consultation with the other gender advisors and technical specialists mobilized on the project. In this capacity and under the direction of the Head of Programmes in ABANTU, she will assume the following main tasks:
- Lead person in the implementation of the West Africa regional Project: “Nature-based Climate Adaptation in the Guinean forests of West Africa (Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea)”
- Coordination and Implementation of the programme activities of the “Nature-based Climate Adaptation in the Guinean forests of West Africa (Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea)”
- Participate in updating the strategies and approaches as part of the development of the Project Implementation Plan (between April and July 2023) in collaboration with the regional team and technical specialists;
- Contribute to developing partnership relations in connection with the project’s main topic of the project in Ghana, Ivory Coast and Guinea in close collaboration with each country management team and ensure the project’s overall coordination.
CAPACITY BUILDING
In collaboration with the regional project team and the other gender technical specialists, the Gender Equality Advisor is responsible for the following:
- Carry out participatory diagnoses with partners in the field of gender equality in regards to capacity building;
- Design training modules specific to approaches and concepts of gender in the context of NBS to climate change adaptation;
- Participate in the training of the project team and partners on gender equality using an approach adapted to their skills and including a training of trainers’ (ToT) component;
- Coordinate with ABANTU for Development and other women’s organizations for the implementation of the training on GE approaches and concepts;
- Ensure that gender mainstreaming strategies are taken into account in the development and implementation of all activities;
- Track detailed training program budgets;
- Coordinate the process of identifying and mobilizing facilitators and building their capacity on GE in conjunction with established training programs;
- Supervise the GE theoretical and practical training sessions facilitated by the trained facilitators to key project participants;
- Assess trainings, make adjustments if necessary and disseminate lessons learned.
ADVISORY SUPPORT:
- Provide technical advisory support in GE to heads of CSOs and women’s organizations benefiting from the project;
- Carry out advisory support to partners for effective gender mainstreaming in their activities;
- Provide advisory support as part of the design and implementation of other project activities on different issues such as CCA and gender, NBS and gender, market and economic opportunities analyses, incentives for adaptation and preservation, etc.
COORDINATION AND PARTNERSHIP RELATIONS:
- Plan, monitor and report, together with the Project Coordination in Guinea and Regional Team, the activities carried out as part of the execution of the tasks described above;
- Ensure liaison and healthy collaboration between the various project stakeholders;
- Monitor the capacity building activities to be carried out in accordance with the conventions and collaboration agreements signed with the partners;
- Participate in the management of material and financial resources made available by the project and provide the necessary supporting documents;
- Accompany other managers, advisors or project specialists during work trips to Guinea, when necessary;
- Ensure strict compliance with CECI’s policies and codes of conduct and ethics as well as compliance with the security plan.
MONITORING, EVALUATION AND LEARNING:
- Participate in the design of the project’s monitoring and evaluation methodology on the gender dimensions and collaborate with the project’s MEL Manager;
- Regularly monitor GE capacity building activities in order to identify problems and needs and make necessary adjustments;
- Contribute to the documentation of learnings and innovations;
- Perform certain tasks inherent to the position, such as drafting sections of annual work plans, narrative reports and analysis and documentation documents.
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
- University degree (preferably a Masters’ Degree) in gender equality, social development or other social science relevant field;
- At least 5 years of relevant experience in programme management, including in the design and dissemination of capacity building programmes focusing on gender equality;
- Proven experience in gender sensitive adult learning and training approaches and methodologies;
- Previous work experience with civil society organizations, agricultural producers’ organizations, economic interest groups and environmental organizations;
- Experience in gender analysis, capacity building of local partners and participatory approaches to local development.
SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE:
- Knowledge of climate change adaptation issues and nature-based solutions desirable;
- Knowledge of women’s rights and gender equality issues particularly as they relate to biodiversity and climate change adaptation
- Knowledge of women’s entrepreneurship in rural farming or forestry;
- Knowledge of environmental sustainability;
- Ability to work in a multidisciplinary and multicultural team;
- Writing skills in French;
- Mastery of information and computer technologies (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google and Microsoft environments);
- Ability to simplify complex notions, facilitate and communicate effectively;
- Ability to travel and live in remote areas.
LANGUAGES:
- Very good knowledge of French both orally and in writing;
- Good knowledge of English;
- Good knowledge of at least one of the main local languages in Ghana.
HOW TO APPLY:
To apply, please send your Curriculum Vitae, cover letter and copies of certified diplomas and work certificates to the following email address: abantuproposals@outlook.com and copied to enoabrosee@gmail.com, under the subject, “Application for Employment: Gender Equality Advisor under the NBS Project”. The Applicant can also drop off the physical copy of her application file at our offices located at H/No. A30, Belfort Junction, Baatsona, Spintex Road, Accra (JVMX+CW9, Spintex Rd, Accra). Please do not contact us by phone. We will contact only those candidates selected for an interview.
ABANTU is an employer subscribing to the principle of equal access to employment. We encourage women and people with disabilities to apply.