Gender and Social Inclusion Officer – Swiss Church Aid/HEKS Ethiopia
Social Sciences and Community
Swiss Church Aid/HEKS Ethiopia
About Swiss Church Aid/HEKS-EPER
Swiss Church Aid/HEKS is the aid organization of the Protestant Churches of Switzerland and has its headquarters in Zurich/Switzerland. Swiss Church Aid/ HEKS works towards a more humane and more equitable world, assisting people and communities to overcome economic, social or humanitarian disparities in order to gain autonomy and to live with dignity both in Switzerland and abroad. Therefore, Swiss Church Aid/ HEKS engage in development cooperation, humanitarian aid and church cooperation and works in more than 30 countries and runs around 200 projects world-wide. Swiss Church Aid/ HEKS is a member of the ACT Alliance.
Contract: fixed basis for 25 months
About Swiss Church Aid/HEKS-EPER
Swiss Church Aid/HEKS is the aid organization of the Protestant Churches of Switzerland and has its headquarters in Zurich/Switzerland. Swiss Church Aid/HEKS implements development and humanitarian responses programs to tackles the causes of hunger, injustice and social deprivation both in Switzerland and abroad and runs around 200 projects world-wide.
Swiss Church Aid/ HEKS is a member of the ACT Alliance.
In Ethiopia, Swiss Church Aid/ HEKS implements development and humanitarian interventions with focus on natural resource management, climate change adaption, conflict transformation, water, hygiene & sanitation, and inclusive markets.
Swiss church Aid/HEKS is looking for a committed and competent Conflict Transformation Officer for its ‘Women for Peace’ which aims at strengthening local capacities to improve communities’ resilience in border areas between Borana (Ethiopia) and Marsabit (Kenya). The project aims to enhance women’s leverage in conflict prevention, resolution, peace building, relief and recovery. The position holder will report to field office coordinator and will work closely with the project team in the field and in Addis as well as with partner organizations in Ethiopia and Kenya.
Job Description
Key areas of responsibilities are:
- Coordinate and lead the implementation of gender and social inclusion component of the project “Women for Peace – Strengthening Local Capacities to Transform Conflict in the Border area of Borana-Marsabit in Ethiopia and Kenya.”
- Ensuring gender mainstreaming within all project activities.
- Undertake gender and conflict analysis on an ongoing basis, so as to ensure the project is informed of ongoing dynamics and trends relating to tensions among bordering communities, and between intra communities and the host community.
- Support the project objective to increase the number of women participants in peace-building processes, dialogue activities, and initiatives.
- Support the implementation of capacity-building activities relating to strengthening skills and application of conflict prevention and peace building approaches by HEKS team, partners, and community stakeholders.
- Supervise activities agreed in the project proposal and subsequently communicate with field office coordinator and project team on progress and potential challenges.
- Undertake timely submission of regular reports (weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual and final) as deemed necessary by the project management team.
- Enhance the capacity of local women leaders to enable them to actively participate in the cross-border initiatives such as peace building and conflict transformation interventions
- Ensure local and women-led organizations influence and advocate for an increased role and voice of the women in peace initiatives.
- Ensure meaningful and equal participation of women, girls, men, boys, and other vulnerable community members in project activities.
- Conduct regular field visits to monitor processes and outputs ensuring that opportunities for gender empowerment are being taken forward.
- Ensure that gender is knowledgeably integrated with all aspects of the needs identification, analysis, design, implementation, and evaluation phase.
- Provide technical inputs to the development of peaceful co-existence and women led peace building concept notes and project proposals and support their implementation.
- Carry out any additional duty as requested by the line manager
Education, Qualifications & other knowledge
- BSc degree or master’s degree in social studies, gender studies or other related fields
- 5-6 years of work experience in social work with focus on gender issues
- Experience and understanding of pastoral areas, context, livelihoods and culture
- Demonstrable experience in working in Borana Zone
- Strong expertise in conflict sensitive programme management
- Motivating character with good facilitation skills working with diverse and inclusive target groups
- Sensitivity to the needs and priorities of disadvantaged population particularly women and children.
- Strong analytical skills.
- High social competence and empathy as well as sensitivity in working in a conflict affected context.
- Demonstrated experience of integrating gender and diversity issues into emergency/humanitarian interventions.
- Skills and knowledge of conducting peace building and women empowerment analysis, including practical experience in undertaking conflict analysis.
- Willingness to work in remote areas, ability to work with minimum supervision
- Very good English, Amharic and Afan Oromo languages and/or multi linguistic skills (written and spoken)
- Strong sense of integrity and personal commitment to the goals and values of Swiss Church Aid/HEKS
