Kenya: Women’s Land Rights Programme Assistant


May 22, 2019 | Oxfam
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Oxfam International (OI) is a confederation of 17 organizations working together with over 3000 partners in more than 100 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. The OI Secretariat is based in Oxford, UK, Nairobi, and operates advocacy offices in Washington DC, New York, Brussels, Geneva and Addis Ababa

Department Purpose

To work as part of Oxfam’s Pan Africa Program, which exists to realize the vision of a self-reliant Africa that is peaceful, democratic and responds to the rights and development needs of its people. We will do this by tackling the underlying causes of inequality and injustice to the poorest and most marginalized through our pillars of Gender Justice and Women’s Rights, Peace and Security, Economic Justice and Democratic Governance and Youth Development. In collaboration with our country programs we identify and work with networks of social movements, CSOs and their coalitions and alliances, Pan-Africa institutions and Governments  to  influence, develop and implement key international and continental policies, programs, pledges and human rights instruments. We also support a strong and autonomous Pan Africa campaigning force of coalitions, alliances and social movements around their own objectives.

Team Purpose

To work within the Gender Justice and Women’s Rights Pillar; which seeks to address gender injustices and eliminating all forms of discrimination through movement/ coalition building, advocating for the domestication and implementation of various women’s rights frameworks –with a focus on building the capacity of women and increasing their voices within key decision-making spaces at the continental level. The Gender Justice Program also aims at building the capacity of women’s rights organizations in Africa to engage in economic policy debates at regional and international level. This will aim at mitigating the impacts of discriminatory health, education and economic empowerment and strengthening land rights for women and realizing agriculture and food security.

Job Purpose

This post will support Oxfam Pan Africa Program’s Gender Justice and Women’s Rights Pillar, specifically with the implementation and delivery of the women’s land rights (WLRs) projects. The position holder will be responsible for the overall project implementation in countries and coordination of Focal Points’ activities of the EU funded ‘Women’s Land Rights for Inclusive Development and Growth in Africa (WIDGRA) project in respective target countries. The job holder will be the main point of contact with the country focal points to implement and ensure the delivery of project activities that are led by Oxfam Pan Africa Program within the target countries. S/he will be the link between the project management team and countries implementing the project, supporting all project activities and reports according to donor guidelines and guidance of the Gender Justice & Women’s Rights Lead.

Job Responsibilities

The successful job holder, in collaboration with the implementing partner, will be responsible for  the implementation and delivery of all project activities in Kenya within the WIDGRA project. This also includes providing support to deliver the communications, media and advocacy  aspect of  the  project in  all  target countries. This includes working on, but not limited to the following tasks:

Technical

  • Work with the project partner to ensure setting of activity work plan, timely implementation and monitoring process
  • Conduct the transformative leadership for women’s rights phase II training for Kenya
  • Implement the CSO trainings on monitoring the application of AU WLRs instruments and other relevant land and gender laws and policies in target countries
  • Develop annual national shadow report  on AU  WLRs  instruments and  other  relevant WLRs  laws  and policies as part of an advocacy campaign
  • Printing annual national shadow  reports on  AU  WLR instruments  and  disseminate them  as  part of  an advocacy campaign 
  • Support the  gender  justice (GJ)  program  with  the  communications  and media  coverage  for related program’s campaigns such as Kilimanjaro Initiative and GIMAC engagements
  • Publishing of knowledge materials including reports, briefing papers for the GJ Program
  • Mobilize grassroots women from Kenya to participate in relevant AU spaces for advocacy missions; and facilitate their presence in various continental platforms
  • Participate in relevant  AU  events and  spaces  for advocacy  missions  and  to  bring national  issues  to  a continental platform
  • Design, implement, manage and  evaluate strategic media campaigns to raise public awareness on the gravity of women’s land rights (WLRs) denial
  • Support media campaigns in target countries to push for the implementation of AU WLRs instruments at the national level
  • Support the development and implementation of a research and advocacy agenda on women land rights and capture evidence studies on cases of women losing out on land as a result of conflict, disinheritance and Large Scale Land Based Investments (LSLBIs) etc. 
  • Initiate report  development  (narrative &  financial)  and coordinate  submissions  in  collaboration  with the partner
  • Support with the planning and organizing of project related workshops and conferences
  • Identify funding opportunities for the broader gender justice and women’s rights pillar

Leadership 

The ProgramAssistant will provide leadership on the communications, media and advocacy component of the WIDGRA project and in support other project countries; as outlined but not limited to below tasks:

  • Lead and  supervise  the media  campaign  in Kenya  to  enable localized discussions  on AU  WLRs instruments and push for the implementation of the same at the national level
  • Support review, editing and proof reading of IEC materials, reports and research papers being produced to ensure quality and accuracy of information
  • Develop key messages, policy and advocacy asks for relevant program engagements
  • Develop articles, blogs, briefs, stories for the WIDGRA project; and design innovative content for social media platforms
  • Documentation, dissemination of project knowledge products and project knowledge management
  • Collect, collate and package stories, case studies, photos etc for projects at GJ program
  • Increase the profile  of our work at Gender Justice pillar by supporting the  development of creative and interesting communications products
  • Support with identifying new visibility platforms while liaising with strategic external knowledge platforms in the regions where Gender Justice work could be promoted
  • Follow up  on  external and  internal  knowledge platforms  where  we  can  populate our  work  on  Gender Justice and Women’s Rights
  • Carry out other additional responsibilities within the Gender Justice & Women’s Rights Pillar as assigned by the line manager 

Management

  • Provide oversight leadership and management of all project activities implemented in Kenya 
  • Provide support and oversee the communications and media actions for the WIDGRA project in the target countries

Other 

  • Eager and required to adhere to Oxfam’s principles and values (click here) as well as the promotion of gender justice and women's rights(click here).  
  • Understanding of and commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles.

Job Requirements

Essential 

Education:

  • At least  a  first degree  preferably  in social  sciences field  especially sociology,  social  work, gender  & development and law. Previous experience/ skills and /or credentials in either journalism, communications and media is an added advantage

Experience:

  • Knowledge of broader gender justice issues; and at least 2 years’ experience in promoting women’s rights including women’s land and property rights at national and regional level 
  • At least 2 years working experience of high-level policy influencing work at national as well as regional or international levels;
  • Experience in implementing women’s rights focused projects including women’s land and property rights projects;
  • Previous experience and support on external media and communications work; with established contacts and networks on media in Africa
  • Excellent skills on the development of donor narrative reports 
  • Strong project management skills and fundraising experience
  • Excellent oral and written communication and facilitation skills.
  • Effective and  sensitive  communication skills  including  and capacity  to  write appropriately  for  different external audiences; 
  • Be result oriented, have strong analytical skills and are a team-player 
  • Ability to work collaboratively, supportively, and respectfully with others with strong commitment to Oxfam values; 
  • Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment and ability to meet deadlines 
  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work well and flexibly in a multi-cultural environment
  • Flexibility and willingness to travel within Africa and in difficult environments to achieve work objectives.

Desirable

  • Experience working with partners and managing multi-country advocacy programs
  • Experience with EU funded projects 
  • Experience on the use of new media and social media to further advocacy and outreach goals
  • Demonstrable awareness of own strengths and areas of weakness and evidence of self-managed learning.
  • Ability to speak French

 Key Attributes:

  • Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences and gender issues, as well as the commitment to equal opportunities. 
  • Ability to  demonstrate  an openness  and  willingness to  learn  about the  application  of gender/gender mainstreaming, women’s rights, and diversity for all aspects of development work. 
  • Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies to ensure all people who come into contact with Oxfam are as safe as possible. 

Organizational Values:

  • Accountability –Our  purpose-driven,  results-focused approach  means we  take  responsibility  for our actions and hold ourselves accountable. We believe that others should also be held accountable for their actions.
  • Empowerment –Our approach means that everyone involved with Oxfam, from our staff and supporters to people living in poverty, should feel they can make change happen.
  • Inclusiveness –We are open to everyone and embrace diversity. We believe everyone has a contribution to make, regardless of visible and invisible differences.