Senior Gender Adviser (remotely)

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles

Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance

JOB TITLE:

Senior Gender Adviser (CST Level III) - Enabling Digital Financial Inclusion and Women Economic Empowerment through Cash-based Transfers

TYPE OF CONTRACT:

When Actually Employed (WAE) based on number of days worked within the overall duration of the project

UNIT/DIVISION:

CBT Division, Programme Policy Department

DUTY STATION (City, Country):

Home-based

DURATION:

September 2020 - February 2023 (for a maximum of 200 days)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The World Food Programme (WFP) believes in an inclusive financial ecosystem that extends the reach of affordable digital financial products and services to all persons, including unbanked and underserved people. Within this ecosystem, women and men should have the required financial and digital capabilities to make informed financial decisions, be self-reliant and able to meet their essential needs in local markets.

A Senior Gender Adviser is needed to support development and implementation of a WFP-Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) joint initiative on Digital Financial Inclusion (DFI). The joint initiative will analyse, test and document how cash-based programmes can foster DFI whilst supporting women's economic empowerment (WEE).

The Senior Gender Adviser will work under supervision of the WFP Project Coordinator within the Cash-Based Transfer (CBT) Division, in liaison with the WFP Gender Office. S/he will work with WFP employees, partners and financial service providers in selected operations. S/he will be home-based and will be required to undertake some travel.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Global-level action: The Senior Gender Adviser will ensure that gender is strategically and effectively integrated into the global level plans and project activities, in support of DFI and WEE. S/he will provide gender-related technical advice on (a) enabling DFI and WEE through CBTs; (b) inclusion of gender criteria in WFP's tracking tool of CBT operations; (c) partnerships to support global and country-level actions; and (d) research on DFI, WEE and digital cash transfers, including in the context of COVID-19. The Senior Gender Adviser will also develop DFI and WEE-related tools and guidance, as well as the gender components of the knowledge sharing and capacity strengthening strategy. S/he will be required to undertake advocacy and representation functions.

2. Country-level action: In the countries where the project is implemented, the Senior Gender Adviser will provide technical assistance to CBT operations and government-to-person (G2P) responses supported by WFP, such that they integrate DFI and WEE, as well as designed to be gender transformative through their implementation. Country priorities and action plans will further specify responsibilities, but the Senior Gender Adviser is likely to (a) provide guidance to WFP partners on integration of gender in digital financial products and services; (b) support participatory demand-side analyses, including mapping of user needs, preferences and experiences, as well as analysis of socio-cultural practices which impede the uptake of digital products and services; (c) advise on community engagement, communication and response mechanisms, as well as women’s leadership within these; (d) support the integration of gender in thematic studies; (e) advise on consistent attention to gender when linking cash recipients to financial products and services; (f) advise on how to link women-led/owned businesses to the digital financial ecosystem; (g) ensure that digital and financial literacy trainings are gender responsive in terms of both content and channels; and (h) contribute to gender-responsive monitoring of how digital payments are impacting the lives of recipients.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

The deliverables will be confirmed at the beginning of the assignment to ensure they match the latest project proposal and country-level action plans, and may include:

Global-level deliverables

• gender-related technical advice, specifically on enabling DFI and WEE through CBTs;
• relevant tools and guidance to support gender equitable and transformative DFI and WEE in CBT;
• a publication on DFI, WEE and digital cash transfers in the context of COVID 19;
• gender is integrated in the global tracker on WFP CBT operations and how they contribute to DFI and WEE;
• gender equality commitments and capacities are integrated in the partnership scoping exercise;
• inclusion of gender in the project knowledge-sharing and capacity-strengthening strategy;
• gender is integrated in the WFP DFI change management strategy and pathway to scale;
• advocacy and representation-related deliverables.
  

Country-level deliverables

CBT operations and Government G2P response supported by WFP in the countries selected are designed with a gender transformative lens and integrate DFI and WEE. The actual list of deliverables will be confirmed once country-level priorities and action plans are defined, and may include ensuring that:

• community engagement is gender-sensitive;
• WFP subcontracted partners are supported in the participatory demand-side analyses;
• Country Offices are supported in conducting gender specific studies;
• a gender lens is applied when linking cash recipients to financial products;
• women-led/ owned businesses are supported in their links to the digital financial economy;
• digital and financial literacy trainings are gender responsive in both content and channels;
• the impact of digital payments on the lives of recipients in various contexts is monitored and documented.
  

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

Postgraduate qualification in relevant field, such as gender, international development, sociology.

Experience:

Minimum of 12 years of experience in gender, across programming, and provision of technical advice and encompassing in humanitarian and development contexts. At least 5 years in an advisory role related to gender. Experience in working with national partners - NGOs, CSOs, private sector - is a plus.

Knowledge & Skills:

Proactive attitude, with initiative and a sense of accountability. Ability to provide technical advice that is actionable and can be understood by diverse stakeholders. Ability to develop user-friendly guidance. Team player. Excellent interpersonal, communication and facilitation skills (written and oral). Ability to work productively and in an organised fashion.

Languages:

English is required. Another WFP language - Arabic, French, Portuguese, Spanish - is a plus.

Terms and Conditions

WFP offers a competitive compensation package which will be determined by the contract type and selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.

Please visit the following websites for detailed information on working with WFP.

http://www.wfp.org Click on: “Our work” and “Countries” to learn more about WFP’s operations.

Deadline for applications: 11 September 2020

Ref.: VA No. 123636

Qualified female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply

WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.