Gender, Human Rights & Inclusion Junior Advisor

Project name-Boosting the Rights of Individuals with Disabilities in Africa (BRIDGE-Africa)

African Women Advancing Rights & Equality (AWARE)

Contract duration-31 June 2029

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a global service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world. As a public-benefit federal enterprise, GIZ supports the German Government – in particular the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) – and many public and private sector clients in achieving their objectives in international cooperation in around 120 countries.

Since 2004, GIZ has been a reliable and trusted partner of the African Union (AU) to enhance inclusive growth and sustainable development on the African continent in line with the AU’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. With more than 250 staff, GIZ African Union cooperates with the AU Commission, as well as the AU’s specialised institutions and agencies, such as the Development Agency AUDA-NEPAD, at continental, regional and national level in more than 40 member states. Key areas of engagement include Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention, Governance, Sustainable Economic Growth, Health and Social Development, as well as Just Transition.

Within this framework, BMZ commissioned GIZ to implement the project African Women Advancing Rights and Empowerment (AWARE). The project aims to strengthen the capacity of the AU, its Member States, and key stakeholders to enhance the implementation of continental human rights commitments related to women’s rights. AWARE applies a gender-transformative and human rights-based approach structured around the 3Rs: Rights, Resources, and Representation, promoting women’s access to justice, economic inclusion, and participation in decision-making processes.

In parallel, BMZ commissioned the Boosting the Rights of Individuals with Disabilities in Africa (BRIDGE Africa) project. BRIDGE focuses on strengthening federations of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and supporting the implementation of the African Disability Protocol in cooperation with the AU. The project promotes pan-African advocacy for inclusion, particularly for women and youth with disabilities, in collaboration with continental and regional partners such as the African Disability Forum (ADF) and the African Disability Alliance (ADA).

Both projects are implemented within the broader AU–German Development Cooperation framework and contribute to strengthening continental human rights mechanisms, policy implementation, and inclusive governance systems

Responsibility

• Supports the implementation of two complementary projects, one focused on disability inclusion and the other on gender equality and human rights—ensuring coherence and synergies between their objectives and activities.
• Conducts legal and policy research on public international law, human rights, gender equality, disability inclusion, and governance, and contributes to analytical briefs that inform programme strategies across both projects.
• Drafts briefing notes, concept notes, legal opinions, and reports that apply a human rights-based approach and integrate intersectional perspectives reflecting the interlinkages between gender, disability, and broader human rights issues.
• Contributes to the development, review, and editing of project communication products and materials, including articles, fact sheets, social media content, and publications promoting equality, inclusion, and intersectional representation.
• Facilitates the effective organization of inclusive meetings, workshops, and consultations under both projects, ensuring accessibility and the meaningful participation of women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups.
• Engages with civil society organizations, organizations of persons with disabilities, women’s rights groups, human rights defenders, government counterparts, and international partners to strengthen collaboration and promote intersectional approaches to equality and inclusion.
• Supports the analysis of legal and regulatory frameworks related to gender equality, disability rights, civic space, and human rights, and contributes to the development of rights-based, intersectional policy recommendations.
• Assists in proposal development, programme planning, and monitoring to ensure systematic mainstreaming of gender equality, disability inclusion, and intersectionality throughout all project phases, and prepares Terms of Reference for expert services as needed.

Qualifications

• Advanced university degree in law (LL.B. required; LL.M. or equivalent in a relevant field is an asset).
• Solid grounding in public international law and related fields such as human rights, international humanitarian law, and governance.
• Demonstrated strong academic performance and proven analytical, research, and writing abilities.
• Experience with legal reasoning and advocacy, including participation in structured exercises such as moot courts, debates, or similar forums.
• Excellent drafting skills for legal and policy documents, with the ability to tailor content to different audiences.
• Strong command of written and spoken English; proficiency in at least one local language is an advantage.

Professional experience

• Initial professional or internship experience in legal, policy, or programme-oriented roles within law firms, civil society, international organizations, or public institutions.
• Experience contributing to legal or policy research on issues such as human rights, gender equality, disability rights, governance, rule of law, or economic and social development.
• Hands-on exposure to initiatives that integrate disability inclusion and gender equality in programme design, implementation, monitoring, or advocacy.
• Exposure to project or programme implementation, including organizing inclusive events, supporting stakeholder engagement (especially with women’s groups and organizations of persons with disabilities), and assisting with documentation and reporting.
• Experience developing or supporting communication products (for example, articles, training materials, social media content, or public information tools) that promote or reflect human rights, gender equality, and disability inclusion.
• Experience working in or with the international development sector (e.g. bilateral or multilateral partners, international NGOs, or donor-funded projects); prior interaction with German development cooperation is considered a strong asset.
• Demonstrated ability to work in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, manage competing priorities, and deliver outputs within agreed timelines, while maintaining a strong focus on inclusion and rights-based approaches.

Prerequisites

• Strong commitment to non-discrimination, equality, and the meaningful participation of women, youth, and persons with disabilities in all aspects of programme and legal work.
• Ability to apply a human rights-based and gender-responsive lens to legal research, project design, and communication products.
• Sensitivity to cultural, gender, disability, and diversity issues, and ability to work respectfully with people from different backgrounds
• Capacity to manage multiple tasks while ensuring that inclusion and rights considerations are integrated rather than treated as add-ons.
• High ethical standards, integrity, and respect for confidentiality, especially when dealing with rights-related and potentially sensitive information.
• Experience working with, or strong familiarity with, the African Union, its agencies, organs, or related continental initiatives is a distinct advantage.

Other knowledge, additional competencies

• Knowledge of key international and regional human rights, women’s rights, and disability rights instruments
• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills, with openness to feedback from affected groups and stakeholders, including women’s and disability organizations.
• Proficiency in standard office and collaboration software (e.g. MS Office, Outlook, online collaboration and meeting platforms) and willingness to use tools that enhance accessibility