Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Specialist

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• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting

The FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (REU) is committed to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) across agrifood systems in the region. Rural women play a central role in agricultural production, food and nutrition security, climate resilience, and rural development, making gender equality both a stand-alone priority and a cross-cutting dimension of FAO’s technical and normative work.

In line with the FAO Policy on Gender Equality 2020–2030 and other relevant corporate frameworks, the REU Gender Team provides technical and policy support to FAO country offices, technical teams, governments and other partners to strengthen the integration of gender equality and women’s empowerment across FAO’s work in Europe and Central Asia.

FAO REU is establishing a regional roster of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Specialists who may be engaged, depending on programme needs and available resources, to provide technical expertise for regional, subregional and country-level assignments in Europe and Central Asia.

Successful candidates will be included in the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia roster of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Specialists. Inclusion in the roster does not guarantee an assignment.

Specific assignments will be defined according to programme and project requirements and the selected incumbent’s area and level of expertise.

Candidates included in the roster may be considered for consultancy assignments according to their technical expertise, professional experience, language skills, availability and the specific requirements of individual assignments. The duration, duty station, reporting arrangements, expected outputs and specific tasks will be established separately for each assignment.

Assignments may be home-based or require work at FAO offices and/or travel within Europe and Central Asia, depending on programme needs.

Reporting Lines

Selected incumbents will work under the overall supervision of the REU Gender Officer/Gender Team and/or relevant FAO responsible officer, in close collaboration with relevant FAO technical officers, country offices, project teams and other stakeholders, as applicable to each assignment.

Technical Focus

Provision of technical expertise on gender equality and women’s empowerment in agrifood systems and rural development, including gender mainstreaming in policies, programmes and projects; gender analysis and evidence generation; development and implementation of gender-responsive and gender-transformative interventions; capacity development; monitoring and reporting; knowledge management; and policy and technical support.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Provide technical advice and support on gender equality and women’s empowerment in agrifood systems and rural development, including the integration of gender considerations into policies, strategies, programmes and projects.
• Conduct and/or contribute to gender analyses, assessments and research, including qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis, to strengthen the evidence base for gender-responsive policy and programming.
• Support the design, implementation and review of gender-responsive and gender-transformative programmes and projects, including Gender Action Plans, results frameworks, indicators, targets and related implementation arrangements.
• Provide technical support for mainstreaming gender throughout the programme and project cycle, including formulation, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
• Develop and deliver capacity-development activities, technical guidance, tools and materials on gender mainstreaming for FAO personnel, government counterparts, implementing partners and other stakeholders.
• Prepare and/or contribute to technical, policy and knowledge products, including analytical reports, policy briefs, technical notes, guidance materials, case studies, presentations and other relevant products.
• Support policy dialogue, knowledge exchange, partnerships and stakeholder engagement on gender equality and women’s empowerment, including consultations, technical meetings, workshops, webinars and other regional or country-level initiatives.
• Identify, document and disseminate good practices, lessons learned and results related to gender equality and women’s empowerment, and contribute to communication, advocacy and awareness-raising activities.
• Perform other related duties as required according to the specific assignment.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced University degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in gender studies, social sciences, development studies, economics, agricultural or rural development, human rights, international relations, public policy or another field relevant to the assignment. Consultants with bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience.
• Five years of relevant professional experience in gender equality and women’s empowerment, gender mainstreaming, rural development, agriculture, food security, agrifood systems or related areas.
• Working knowledge of English.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

Depending on the level and nature of the assignment, the following experience and skills may be considered:
• Demonstrated knowledge of gender equality and women’s empowerment concepts, approaches and methodologies and their application to agrifood systems and rural development.
• Experience in conducting gender analyses, assessments, research or studies using qualitative and/or quantitative methodologies.
• Experience in integrating gender considerations into programme and project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
• Experience in developing or supporting Gender Action Plans, gender-responsive results frameworks, indicators and monitoring systems.
• Knowledge of gender-responsive and gender-transformative approaches.
• Experience in capacity development, including the design and delivery of training, workshops, guidance materials and technical tools.
• Strong analytical, research, drafting and report-writing skills.
• Experience in developing technical and knowledge products, policy briefs, guidance materials, case studies and/or communication products.
• Experience in facilitating consultations and working with governments, civil society organizations, development partners, rural communities and other stakeholders.
• Experience working in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams.
• Familiarity with FAO’s mandate, the FAO Policy on Gender Equality 2020–2030 and FAO approaches to gender mainstreaming is an asset.
• Experience and knowledge of gender equality issues affecting agrifood systems and rural populations in Europe and Central Asia is an asset.
• Previous experience with FAO, the United Nations system or other international organizations is an asset.
• Knowledge of one or more languages spoken in Europe and Central Asia is an asset.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)
• Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
• For more information, visit the FAO employment website
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application

• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/. These qualifications should be in alignment with the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) mappings.

• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp

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