Iraq: Gender and Protection Manager

Jun 6, 2019 | CARE
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About CARE: CARE International (CARE) is a non-religious and non-political international humanitarian aid organization dedicated to fighting global poverty, through diverse public and private partnerships with other development actors. CARE supports communities to overcome poverty through development projects and the provision of humanitarian assistance to populations affected by disasters and identified as poor and vulnerable. CARE programmes address social injustice and specifically support women and girls to create lasting positive change in poor communities. CARE is an equal opportunity employer irrespective of nationality, religion, ethnicity or gender.

CARE Iraq aims to empower women, men, girls and boys with and without disabilities through livelihoods, cash transfers, sexual, reproductive and maternal health (SRMH), WASH and Protection (gender-based violence-GBV prevention and mitigation), sectors that constitute the Country Office’s programme portfolio. CARE Iraq is committed to ensuring that gender equality is fully mainstreamed across all our work both as a universal human right and an end in itself, as well as a means to overcome poverty and social injustice more effectively. CARE Iraq is currently implementing a standalone protection project in Ninewa Governorate focused on providing comprehensive GBV services (GBV case management, awareness-raising and psychological support), working with women civil society organization on combating GBV through economic empowerment projects in Duhok, establishing and managing two women safe spaces in Sinjar, working with the GBV sub-cluster on developing and training health personnel and outreach workers on screening and safely referring GBV within the context of SRMH activities in Anbar and Ninewa governorates.

The Gender and Protection Manager will provide technical gender and GBV-related guidance and support within the context of Building Peaceful Futures Consortium (BPF). Emphasis for the position are on the gender component. The Consortium currently implemented in Sinjar and Hawija aims to improve people’s resilience by providing women, men, girls and boys with and without disabilities with access to essential protection, WASH, CASH assistance and primary health care (SRMH) services whilst simultaneously promoting social cohesion. CARE supports the health and a stand-alone gender component of the Consortium project that looks at mainstreaming gender throughout all services. However, the position will also support provision of essential information on GBV mitigation and prevention and working with women’s groups, women and women leaders on peacebuilding and the implementation of UNSCR 1325. The incumbent will provide support in review and adaptation of tools, provision of capacity trainings and technical support to implementation teams on gender mainstreaming and protection whilst enhancing SADD collection, analysis and integration.

The incumbent will support CARE Iraq’s role in representing the International Non-Governmental Organisation (INGOs) working in Iraq on the Country-wide Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Taskforce. S/he will champion CARE Iraq’s plans to work with adolescent girls, women and women’s groups on economic empowerment, participation in peacebuilding.

The position provides a management role in oversight of the standalone gender and protection project and further provides specialized technical support and oversight of the CARE Iraq initiatives on gender and protection with a specific focus (technical advisory role) within the context of the Building Peaceful Future Consortium. The employee will support new programme development including development of concept notes and new projects, represent CARE at cluster forums, network with relevant gender and protection actors and increase CARE’s visibility. S/he will coordinate activities with other CARE offices, act as focal person for gender and protection in-country and when interacting with CARE MENA and other care offices.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

The incumbent will be required:

To CARE Iraq Country Office

  • Provide technical guidance on how CARE Iraq can mainstream gender and protection throughout all programming as identified in the Country Strategy
  • Support CARE Iraq’s regular and appropriate use of the Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) tools to ensure portfolio activities are analysed and adapted to the specific needs of women, men, boys and girls of all ages and abilities and all other relevant forms of diversity. Use the CARE Gender Action Plan (GAP) to mainstream gender throughout the program cycle and to ensure activities are adapted based on the findings of the gender analysis.
  • Manage and mentor two staff members (a gender and protection officer and a gender and health assistant);
  • To represent CARE at the Protection cluster & GBV Sub-cluster level and engage in the Iraq country discussion on gender, women’s empowerment and gender equality with the relevant national and international stakeholders;
  • Develop and facilitate gender and sector specific training materials to CARE personnel, implementing partners and Consortium members;
  • Oversee GBV and protection standalone projects (including managing women friendly spaces and engaging women, women’s groups and women CSO on peacebuilding and social cohesions);
  • Conduct GBV and protection risk assessments to inform programmatic decisions as well as provide referral pathways between the different CARE led GBV services and other services (Livelihood, CASH, WASH, Health, Legal);
  • Consolidate and develop awareness raising material on gender and GBV mainstreaming related to WASH/HEALTH and Livelihoods;
  • Develop and conduct training for CARE personnel and implementing partners on Child Safeguarding and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) and provide technical guidance to the CO policy on PSEA and Child Safeguarding.
  • Support with development of proposal, budget management and reporting related to gender and protection across all sectors.
  • Identify opportunities (including fundraising & advocacy opportunities) to promote gender equality through women’s economic empowerment, comprehensive responses to prevent and mitigate GBV and engaging women, women leaders and women civil society groups on peacebuilding. Initiatives at the community level.
  • Support CARE’s the Building Peaceful Futures Consortium
  • Play an advisory role on gender and GBV mainstreaming within the context of the Building Peaceful Futures Project to ensure that consortium members and implementing partners have the knowledge, capacity, skills and tools to mainstream gender equality and meet the minimum standards on preventing and mitigating GBV in humanitarian responses. Support gender and inclusion knowledge creation, management and dissemination internal and external to CARE and the consortium members. Ensure a gender analysis is included in the Consortium’s assessment processes so that tools and activities are adapted to specific needs of women, men, boys and girls of all ages and abilities and all other relevant forms of diversity.
  • Ensure harmony of tools and approaches by drawing on CARE’s Rapid Gender Analysis and Gender Action Plan materials and/or other equivalent tools used by Consortium members or Clusters as relevant.
  • Participate in the Consortium’s Technical Advisory Group, which will support implementation of the program by providing gender technical expertise to Consortium members.
  • Provide guidance and training to each Consortium member on gender mainstreaming in humanitarian programming.
  • Revise and adapt existing guidelines, tools, and training materials from each organization according to local context and Core Humanitarian Standards, the SPHERE Handbook and IASC standards (i.e. the Gender Handbook 2017 and GBV Guidelines 2015), and ensure Consortium Members’ access to relevant materials and training sessions.
  • On-going provision of gender mainstreaming in emergencies training to Consortium Members’ agencies gender focal points based on highlighted gaps in capacities.
  • Provide Training of Trainer’s sessions through collaborative approaches with other consortium partners to ensure that front line staff are adequately equipped to mainstream gender and inclusion and Child Safeguarding practices.
  • Through the auspicious of BPF Consortium Inclusion Technical Working Group, support organisational capacity building of local Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), with a specific focus on women’s organisations and women-led CSOs, to participate in community dialogues around inclusivity and peace-building.
  • Support communication and advocacy initiatives on gender and women’s empowerment.

Key Qualifications and Competencies

Education/Training

  • Advanced degree with specialization in areas such as, gender, protection, law/human rights, international relations, international development, humanitarian response and/or other related social science disciplines.

Experience and Key Competencies

  • At least five years of specialized experience on preferable on gender and/or combating and preventing gender-based violence or protection in humanitarian and transitional contexts at the international level, with experience in insecure environments an asset.
  • Demonstrated leadership and management experience working within a diverse setting with INGOs, NGOs, Civil Society Organization or other humanitarian actors.
  • Proven ability of effective capacity building, including mentorship and facilitating trainings.
  • Sound experience applying tools and guidance for gender mainstreaming and integrating gender, GBV, Child safeguarding and disability inclusion.
  • Strong communication, presentation, negotiation and written skills in English.
  • Team player, able to maintain effective working relationships with internal stakeholders (cross-functional teams across all levels of the organization and external to CARE) while demonstrating highest levels of accountability.
  • Proven familiarity with inter-agency coordination structures, including sector working groups/clusters and donors.
  • Demonstrated high level of organisational and time management skills, able to manage fast moving workflows, balance competing priorities and produce quality and work within set deadlines. 
  • Familiarity in Child Safeguarding, working with youth, gender awareness and women’s empowerment programming with a commitment to gender equality and equity.

Core Values

Child Safeguarding: CARE International in Iraq is committed to protecting the rights of children. We reserve the right to conduct police/ reference checks and other screening procedures to ensure a child-safe environment.

Preventing Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse: CARE International in Iraq staff are committed to each other and to the protection of the people we serve. We do not tolerate sexual misconduct within our organization or external to our organization. Protection from sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse are fundamental to CARE International Iraq’s relationships, including employment, and our recruitment practices are designed to ensure we recruit people who are committed to our work and the people we serve. We will use the recruitment and reference process to ensure all potential staff understand and are aligned with these expectations. To find out more, please contact the Human Resources Officer or read the CI PSEA and CP Policy here.

All staff that work for CARE International are expected to adhere to a Code of Conduct and to CARE’s core values. These include:

  • Transformation
  • Integrity 
  • Diversity
  • Equality
  • Excellence

Other Competencies

  • Respect, Commitment, Initiative and self-starter
  • Facilitating change, Building relations across work units, Communicating with impact
  • Planning and organizing, Innovation 
  • Good Interpersonal / Communication skills, Teamwork and Cooperation
  • Report writing and Good Leadership skills 
  • Relevant computer & written communication skills
  • Fluency in English.

Desired languages

  • English
  • Arabic and Kurdish language skills desirable

Other Competencies

  • Respect, Commitment, Initiative and self-starter
  • Facilitating change, Building relations across work units, Communicating with impact
  • Planning and organizing, Innovation
  • Good Interpersonal / Communication skills, Teamwork and Cooperation
  • Report writing and Good Leadership skills
  • Relevant computer skills