TOR _Gender Officer – Yayu Project

Job Title: Gender Officer – Yayu Project

Job Purpose:

 The Gender Officer will support HRNS-Ethiopia in mainstreaming gender across all project activities in the Yayu Project. The role ensures women’s empowerment, promotes equitable participation of men and women in coffee production and cooperative governance, and strengthens gender-sensitive approaches across livelihoods, organizational development, and youth engagement interventions.

Duty Station:

• HRNS-Ethiopia Project Office, Mettu
• Number of position (one)

Reporting Line:

• The Gender Officer reports to the Field Coordinator.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Program Integration and Strategy

• Familiarize with HRNS-Ethiopia programs, Yayu Project objectives, and the socio-economic context of target communities.
• Lead the implementation of HRNS-Ethiopia’s gender strategy, ensuring gender mainstreaming across all project components, including Farmer Field Schools, cooperatives, and youth-led enterprises.
• Review, update, and adapt gender strategies and action plans based on field assessments and evolving project needs.

Planning and Reporting

• Develop and submit annual and quarterly action plans outlining gender-specific activities, timelines, and expected outcomes.
• Support preparation of reports and documentation for donors, government offices, and partner organizations on gender and social inclusion progress.

Capacity Building and Training

• Design context-specific gender training materials for project staff, cooperatives, youth groups, and other stakeholders.
• Conduct workshops, coaching sessions, and awareness campaigns to enhance women’s participation and leadership in coffee production, marketing, and cooperative governance.
• Support staff sensitization on gender concepts, equality, and social inclusion.

Community Engagement

• Work closely with development agents, cooperatives, and unions to implement gender-sensitive activities that promote equitable economic participation of women and youth.
• Facilitate joint sessions with men and women to encourage shared decision-making in households and cooperatives.
• Monitor community-level interventions to ensure gender equity, minimize conflicts, and maximize participation of marginalized groups.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Documentation

• Collaborate with the MEAL officer to collect, analyze, and report gender-disaggregated data.
• Provide technical support on the use of gender monitoring tools and impact assessment methodologies.
• Record success stories, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations to strengthen gender inclusion practices.

Coordination and Communication

• Maintain regular communication with the Field Coordinator, project staff, and implementing partners regarding ongoing gender activities.
• Support communications campaigns to increase women’s representation in cooperative membership and leadership positions.

Ad Hoc Responsibilities

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Field Coordinator or Project Manager, aligned with project objectives.

Ad Hoc Responsibilities

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Field Coordinator or Project Manager.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Gender Studies, Social Sciences, Development Studies, or related Natural science field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in gender mainstreaming in agricultural, cooperative, or community development projects.
• Experience working with NGO, smallholder farmers, cooperatives, and youth groups is essential.
• Knowledge of Gender Household approach and capacity building of farmer cooperatives is an asset.
• Strong facilitation, training, and interpersonal skills.

Competencies & Skills

• Excellent understanding of gender equality, social inclusion, and youth engagement in development projects.
• Strong communication, advocacy, and community mobilization skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, cooperatives, and local communities.
• Proficient in report writing, data collection, and gender analysis tools.
• Commitment to participatory approaches and promoting inclusive development.