Mali: Gender Equality, Diversity, and Social Inclusion Advisor

Feb 7, 2022 | Mercy Corps
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Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and when every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact. Mercy Corps is committed to gender equality, diversity, and inclusion as fundamental principles of our work.

Mercy Corps Mali

Mercy Corps has been working in Mali since 2013 supporting Malian women and men - including young women and men - to cope with food insecurity and conflict-induced shocks and stresses, restore peace and stability, and address humanitarian and development structural challenges. Throughout our work, Mercy Corps seeks to support strong, inclusive, and resilient communities by i.) providing conflict-sensitive humanitarian assistance, ii.) addressing the root causes of conflict through improved and holistic conflict prevention and management mechanisms and iii.) promoting sustainable economic development through market systems strengthening and employment opportunities for women and young women and men. Mercy Corps’ work addresses issues related to natural resource management and climate change adaptation within Mali and across the borders with neighbouring Central Sahel countries, Niger and Burkina Faso. With a current portfolio of approximately 30 M USD funded by FCDO, USAID/BHA, Sweden, the European Union, and private foundations Mercy Corps has reached over 100,000 persons in Mopti, Segou, Koulikouro, Kayes, Sikasso, Koutiala over the last 18 months. 


Program Summary

Mercy Corps is anticipating the potential approval of a four-year, $16 M USD gender transformative program. The program aims to enhance the socio-economic resilience of women and adolescent girls (15-19) and their families in fragile, conflicted-affected communities in over 200 villages across Mopti, Timbuktu, and Gao. The program will i.) work closely with communities including key opinion shapers or guardians (both male and female) to support the increased agency of women and girls in households and communities, ii.) provide intensive and tailored support for the adoption of climate-resilient agriculture techniques and inputs by women producers, iii.) facilitate access to gender-responsive and inclusive financing for women-led small and medium-sized agribusinesses through a market systems approach. Throughout these actions, the program seeks to create a positive enabling environment where women and girls will lead in building the resilience of themselves, their households, and their communities. The Program is implemented through a consortium of two Malian partners and one international partner, with Mercy Corps as consortium lead.

General Position Summary

The Gender Equality, Diversity, and Social Inclusion Advisor will use their in-depth contextual understanding, technical and practical expertise and relationship building skills to define and support the collective delivery of a gender transformative program. The role will lead the program’s gender equality, diversity, and inclusion strategy design and support to its implementation, providing technical guidance to all program components to ensure high quality programming that will advance gender equality and women and girls’ empowerment. The role provides leadership to ensure that the program is grounded in intersectional gender and power analysis and supports the design and implementation of gender transformative monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning systems to demonstrate impact, while sharing learning across our team and partners. 

Essential Responsibilities 


Strategic Leadership

  • Build a feminist, inclusive, and gender transformative program strategy and implementation plan in collaboration with the team and key stakeholders.
  • Recognize opportunities for innovative action and contribute to an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
  • Lead the gender equality, diversity, and inclusion working group within the consortium structure; ensure regular meetings of the working group to develop guidance, plan activities, share lessons learned, and incorporate these into program delivery. 
  • Participate in the development and implementation of a program advocacy strategy to advance key gender equality, diversity, and inclusion issues with government, donors, and others that reflect the program ’s priorities and learnings.
  • Participate in the development and implementation of a program research and learning agenda to build evidence and support the production of robust thought leadership and advocacy efforts on gender equality, diversity, and inclusion.
  • Support the program to implement Mercy Corps’ global Gender Equality, Diversity, and Social Inclusion Strategy.


Technical Guidance for Implementation

  • Provide oversight and guidance to the program implementation teams to ensure that thematic components are technically sound and grounded on gender and power analysis; ensure the inclusion of women and men from a diversity of identity groups and communities; approach the subject matter from an intersectional feminist perspective; and ensure that implementation methods are consistent with national and global strategies, feminist principles, and acknowledged good practice. 
  • Deliver regular training and ongoing mentorship to program team members and partners to promote capacity, ownership, and commitment to gender equality, diversity, and inclusion.
  • Regularly review program workplans, reports and data collected, analyzing outcomes and desired impact making crucial recommendations to maximize gender transformative potential.
  • Work closely to guide and support the program’s MEAL team to design and implement a MEAL system appropriate for a gender-transformative program; to carry out gender and power analysis; to develop innovative program quality and monitoring tools; and to conduct monitoring and evaluation activities using participatory methodologies that promote gender equality and social inclusion. 
  • Contribute to donor reporting and ensure submission of reports that effectively communicate the program ’s gender equality, diversity, and inclusion work across all program components.
  • Support the development of knowledge management products to increase the program’s understanding of successful implementation strategies; distill learnings and evidence generated into program guidance and thought leadership for internal and external consumption.
  • Support the incorporation of gender equality, diversity, and inclusion within the program’s operational policies and practices.

Team Management

  • Support the incorporation of gender equality, diversity, and inclusion requirements within the program’s job descriptions and performance management systems.
  • Support in recruiting, mentoring and onboarding new team members, ensuring they are set up for success and familiar with the program’s gender equality, diversity and inclusion strategy and how this relates to their role.
  • Provide ongoing supervision, leadership, support, guidance, and mentorship to direct reports. 
  • Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
  • Support national staff development so that national staff are increasingly taking decisions and in management roles, including the ultimate nationalization of the Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Advisor role.
  • Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence and treat each other with respect.

Coordination and Representation 

  • Represent Mercy Corps and the program at relevant external meeting and events, including in gender equality networks and coordination bodies.
  • Establish and maintain formal and informal communication mechanisms with government, community, partners, and other stakeholders.
  • Lead in documenting and coordinating information dissemination activities that share program achievements in and results with the aim of influencing decision and policymakers.
  • Prepare and deliver presentations to stakeholders about program approaches, best practices, and learnings related to gender equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Supervisory Responsibility

Directly supervises 1-4 national team members.

Accountability 

  • Reports Directly To:  Program Director
  • Works Directly With: Program technical leads; program MEAL team; HR team; headquarters and regional technical support units

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field programs.


Minimum Qualification and Transferable Skills 

  • Advanced academic qualification in Women and Gender Studies or related, or equivalent work experience.
  • At least 5 years experience (including overseas) providing technical leadership for the design and implementation of programs focused on advancing gender equality.
  • Demonstrated knowledge and skills related to intersectional gender and power analysis, and to the design piloting, implementation and evaluation of innovative technical tools and resources to advance gender equality.
  • Significant experience in gender and inclusion training, capacity building and mentoring, and a demonstrated ability to make complex concepts compelling and accessible.
  • Proven ability to work effectively with a multicultural and diverse team in a sensitive environment. 
  • Fluency in English and French. Knowledge of a local language (Bambara, Tamasheq, Fulani, Songhai, etc) is an advantage.
  • Internationally recognized qualification in project or program management or a commitment to obtain the qualification in the early months of work.
  • Solid knowledge and application of established inter-agency standards and guidelines relevant to protection and the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.
  • Knowledge and understanding of and/or prior work experience in Mali or the Sahel a significant advantage.
  • Knowledge of feminist donor (e.g. GAC, Sweden, AFD) gender equality policies, standards, and tools an advantage.

Success Factors 

The Gender Advisor will have the ability to work closely with a diverse team of individuals in a highly fluid work and security environment. They will have the capacity to champion ambitious and innovative gender transformative approaches whilst understanding the nuances and sensitivities of the cultural context. They must be able to provide strong technical guidance in a manner which is grounded in the reality of the operating environment and with implementation at the forefront. The successful candidate will have strong communication and interpersonal skills and must be adept at building resilient relationships and advocating for change at all levels. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is accompanied and based in Bamako with at least 25% travel to program areas, security permitting. The position is eligible for individual housing, R&R and education benefits. While the city has been mostly secure, attacks against foreigners in 2016 in some public places underscore the fluidity of the situation and may require expatriate staff to adhere to security policies, such as restrictions on movement. Bamako is served by an international airport with daily flights to European and African destinations. Restaurants and shopping options are available all over the town, with reasonable access to most consumer goods. Health care services exist and developing rapidly. However, for more serious conditions, medevac to Dakar, Senegal or Europe may be required. Bamako hosts several international schools – American, French, Turkish, etc. Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/STA to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.