International Consultant – GIMAC NETWORK COORDINATOR

This is in line with Liaison Office Strategic Note  (2022-2025) which  is aligned with  the global UN Women Strategic Plan  (2022-2025), the AU GEWE Strategy (2018-2028), Agenda 2063. In this regard, the UN Women Liaison Office proposes to strengthen the capacity of continental civil society actors  towards their effective engagement with AU and  other stakeholders in influencing the policies, decisions, initiatives of the African Union and AU Member States.

Since its establishment in 2002, Gender is My Agenda Campaign (GIMAC) Network has served as a platform of over  55  civil society  organisations promoting gender equality and  accountability for women’s rights. It was established during the transformation of OAU to the AU to ensure that women participate and  benefit from the  process. The network is hosted by Femmes Africa Solidarite (FAS) and has been holding bi-annual CSOs meetings at the margins of the  AU Summit of Head of States and Governments to engage AU Member States on African women rights,  issues and concerns.  The network with  support from  the  United   Nations Economic  Commission  for  Africa  (UNECA) has established its  secretariat  in  Addis  Ababa. It  has  also   signed an  MoU  with  the  African  Union Commission through the  AU Women Gender and  Development Directorate to provide a framework of cooperation and ensure coordination and sustainability of efforts to empower women and promote gender equality.Building on the ongoing partnership, UN Women committed to continue to strengthen the advocacy capacity  of GIMAC’s  secretariat by  engaging  the  services  of  an  international consultant-home 

based as  “GIMAC Network Coordinator”  to  lead  the  effective coordination, communication, and management of  the  GIMAC  Network. The  coordinator  will  work  closely with  GIMAC Network members, UN Women Liaison office to the AUC&ECA, partners and stakeholders to advance gender equality and  women’s empowerment in Africa. The institutional support continues to contribute to strategic partnerships through GIMAC’s visible  presence and  impact at the  regional and  national levels in Africa.

In particular, through the  consultancy, UN Women aims  to facilitate GIMAC’s engagement with AU Member States and  other stakeholders, promote the  implementation of the  Maputo Protocol, foster positive masculinity, integrate gender considerations into the  AfCFTA related processes in line with AU theme for 2023, and strengthen networking and  collaboration among civil society  organizations and regional bodies. The consultancy aims to amplify GIMAC’s impact at regional and national levels, ultimately contributing to the  realization of the  UN Women Liaison Office’s  strategic goals and  the broader vision of achieving gender equality and women’s rights  in Africa.

Under  the  overall guidance of the  UN Women Liaison  Specialist and  direct responsibility of the Administrator of FAS and  in collaboration with  the  programs and  advocacy teams in Geneva and Addis Ababa, the consultant will coordinate the activities of the GIMAC network, including program implementation, resource mobilization, advocacy, administrative and  finance,  communication, and reporting related tasks.

III.           Key Responsibilities

The GIMAC Network Coordinator will be responsible for:

1.   Coordination  of the Development and Dissemination of Reports

•  Conduct research and  consolidate information  to  produce reports  such  as  thematic cluster meeting  reports,  RECs  meeting  reports,  advocacy training  reports,  project  reports,  online campaigns reports and  virtual consultative meetings and other relevant reports.

2.   Resource Mobilization

• Support GIMAC  Network  in  resource  mobilization  efforts  by  identifying  potential  funding opportunities, preparing proposals, and  engaging with relevant stakeholders and  partners.
• Explore partnerships with donors, governments, and other organizations to secure both  technical and financial resources for GIMAC Network’s activities.

Communication, Media and Visibility

• Coordinate the   development  and   implementation  of  a  media   strategy,  coordinating  press releases and media  engagements, and utilization of various  communication channels to promote GIMAC Network and UN Women’s work and  achievements.

4.   Capacity Building  and Knowledge Sharing

•  Facilitate capacity-building initiatives for GIMAC Network members, including organizing the  5th GIMAC Young Women Advocacy  Training session.
• Coordinate the development of relevant capacity building materials to enhance the advocacy and leadership skills of young  women and  girls in Africa.

5.   Policy and Advocacy  Support

• Provide  policy and  advocacy support to GIMAC Network members and  partners in influencing regional policies,  decisions, and initiatives.
• Coordinate planned online  campaigns,  High  Level  policy  dialogue  meetings,  coordinating  of development  of  policy   briefs   and   engaging  with   AU  bodies,  member states,  and   other stakeholders to advocate for gender equality and  women’s empowerment.

6.   Monitoring and Evaluation

• Coordinate the  monitoring and  evaluation framework to track  the  impact of GIMAC Network’s activities through the coordination of the production of reports and action plans that  measure the effectiveness of interventions and inform future planning.

IV.       KEY DELIVERABLES

The key deliverables of the GIMAC Network Coordinator are:

• 4  x weekly Partners  Planning Meetings are  held  in preparation for  the  5th  GIMAC RECs Meeting with  partners and  the  Steering Committee members. to  ensure proper planning, promote transparency and  accountability to partners
• 1 x two-day high-level conference is held in July 2023 on the AU theme: “The Implementation of the  AfCFTA: Breaking Trade  Barriers of African  Women and  Ensuring their  Inclusion” in line with  the  African Union theme for 2023 – “Acceleration of the  African  Continental Free Trade  Area (AfCFTA)
• At least I x capacity building and sensitization meeting is held  in Nairobi Kenya in July 2023
• A press conference is held  to galvanise the media  and draw attention of policy makers at the AU on the  issues being  discussed at the  5th GIMAC Meeting including sharing the  outcome document.
• At least one online  campaign to raise  awareness and  create public awareness about gender inequality in trade, and  to mobilize  public  support for gender-responsive trade policies  and agreements is held
• 1x CSO Consultative meeting on Positive Masculinity  is held to support AUC Office of Special
• Envoy on Women, Peace and Security  development of Convention on EVAWG.
• Reports of the above events to be developed and disseminated in a timely manner.

• Compliance with UN Women Core Values.
• Demonstrates integrity and  fairness by modelling the UN’s values and  ethical standards.
• Commitment to UN Women as well  as GIMAC vision, mission,  values and strategic goals.
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age  sensitivity and  adaptability.
• Treats all people fairly without favouritism.
• Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

• A  Bachelor’s degree  or  equivalent  in  Political   Sciences,  Gender  Studies,  International Relations, Law, Social Sciences or Development Studies, or a related field.
• A Master’s Degree will be  an  added advantage.

Experience

• At least five years of relevant experience in gender equality, women’s empowerment, pace  and security in Africa and/or network coordination.
•  Experience working  for  national, regional, and  continental gender equality and  women’s empowerment focused Civil Society  Organizations and  networks
• Experience working   for  or  with  the  United   Nations system,  the  African  Union  or  other intergovernmental organizations will be considered an advantage.
• Strong understanding of gender issues in Africa and development challenges in Africa

Language

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and networking skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and lead  teams.
• Fluency  in English  and  French.

Application:

• All applications must include (as an attachment) a completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment.

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need. 

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application. 

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)