Liberia: Gender and Land Tenure Specialist

Oct 18, 2018 | Landesa
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Landesa helps the world’s poorest people gain land rights; reducing poverty and conflict, increasing economic activity, empowering women, strengthening food security, and improving environmental stewardship.

Landesa is seeking a Gender and Land Tenure Specialist to serve as a key member of the Liberia Land Rights for Sustainable Development (LRSD) Project, the goal of which is to strengthen land rights for rural Liberian communities and individuals, including women and youth, by supporting access to justice, institutional capacity, and land rights awareness. In collaboration with the LRSD team, the Gender and Land Tenure Specialist will support gender mainstreaming throughout the project. This will include supporting gender-responsive law and policy development, collaborating with land sector stakeholders on women’s land rights activities, and working closely with implementing partners to ensure that gender is integrated into project activities. The Gender and Land Tenure Specialist will carry out tasks such as research, writing, training development and facilitation, field work, advocacy, and technical support to implementing partners. S/he will advocate for and demonstrate leadership on gender equality and support the integration of gender and women’s land rights across the project.

Reporting:  The Gender and Land Tenure Specialist will report to the Liberia Country Representative, with a dotted line to the Project Lead.

Availability: The Gender and Land Tenure Specialist is expected to work a standard workweek of 40 hours plus additional hours as necessary to get the job done.  This position requires significant national travel and limited international travel (up to 100 days per year total).

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Supports gender mainstreaming across the LRSD Project, including implementation of the project’s gender integration strategy.
  • Keeps abreast of policy developments relevant to women’s land rights and, where feasible, supports development of gender-responsive implementing regulations of the Land Rights Act and legal framework for women’s land rights.
  • Develops collaborative relationships with key land sector stakeholders who are working for, or are supportive of, change in the area of women’s and men’s land rights in Liberia, including the Liberia Land Authority, Women’s Land Rights Task Force, and the Civil Society Working Group on Land.
  • Represents Landesa at meetings, forums and training venues relevant to gender and women’s land rights.
  • Supports LRSD implementing partners in integrating gender institutionally, as well as into community-level project activities, including trainings, focus group discussions, town hall meetings, drama programs, etc.
  • Actively participates in project design and implementation, including research, writing, and site visits.
  • Helps raise the profile of gender and land rights issues within Liberia, including contributing to the development of communications materials such as radio shows, blogs, reports, and campaigns on women’s land rights in Liberia.
  • Serves as a Landesa Center for Women’s Land Rights (LCWLR) representative on the project and coordinates with the LCWLR and the Africa Program Team on gender integration.
  • Supports gender-responsive project Monitoring and Evaluation through frequent visits to project sites.
  • Develops and maintains a strong relationship with Landesa’s staff. Regularly communicates successes, challenges, and lessons learned from project implementation to the Country Representative and the LRSD team.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Desired Qualifications

  • Degree in law, gender studies, international development, or related field; law degree preferred.
  • 3+ years of relevant experience working on women’s land rights, preferably with experience supporting law and policy reform.
  • A deep commitment to gender equality and the mission of a better, safer future for the poorest women and men through secure access to land. Experience supporting gender integration in development projects and/or leading gender analysis is preferred.
  • Excellent organization, delegation, performance management, priority setting, planning, administration, analytical, negotiation, and time management skills. Exacting attention to detail, flexibility and the ability to work simultaneously on multiple activities.
  • Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with colleagues in a complex and rapidly changing environment, as well as excellent interpersonal skills. Ability to overcome obstacles to cooperation and to foster harmonious relations.
  • Strong oral and written communication skills and facilitation skills.
  • High degree of personal and professional integrity, initiative, and intellectual curiosity.
  • Experience working with international NGOs preferred; experience working with governmental entities a plus.