Gender Justice Program Manager – Maternity Cover- (INT8857)

Closing date: – 08 September 2022, Midnight.

Interview date: – TBC

Vacancy reference: – INT8857 – Gender Justice Program Manager

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.

Shaping a stronger Oxfam for people living in poverty.

About Oxfam

Oxfam is a global movement of people who won’t live with the injustice of poverty. Together we save and rebuild lives in disasters. We help people build better lives for themselves. We speak out on the big issues that keep people poor, like inequality, discrimination against women and climate change. And we won’t stop until every person on the planet can live without poverty.

Oxfam GB is a member of the international confederation Oxfam.

Iraq Context

Oxfam has been working in Iraq since the 1990s with both an expanding and contracting presence. In 2014, Oxfam established its first office in Kalar when the conflict with ISIS began and the country was thrown into a new humanitarian crisis, in an already fragile context. In 2021, Oxfam is amongst the largest NGOs operating in the country, with nine offices and almost 200 employees and an annual budget of 20 million USD.

Oxfam in Iraq 2021-2026 country strategy articulates around 3 Goals:

• Humanitarian Response: We envision all Iraqis who are conflict-affected and/or disaster-affected to have access to essential life-saving support in a timely, effective, accessible and appropriate manner.
• Governance: We envision all Iraqis to have equal access to services and opportunities for all people, whereby equal distribution and control of resources and meaningful participation can build resilient and sustainable solutions for the future.
• Equality: We envision an equitable and just society where Iraqis in all their diversity, live free from violence, enjoy ownership and control of resources and participate in decision-making processes across all spheres.

Recognizing that Iraq is a fragile country prone to man-made and natural disasters, Oxfam in Iraq aims at continuing responding to humanitarian needs and offering durable solutions to internally displaced people, while supporting all Iraqis to recover sustainable and equitable access to basic services and income generating activities. As a feminist organization, Oxfam aims to strengthen the women’s empowerment movement by supporting Women’s Rights Organisations, with a focus on the Women, Peace and Security agenda, the prevention and response to Gender Based Violence and Women Economic Empowerment.

In order to achieve the above, Oxfam work aims to integrate the following key sectors together for every intervention in a given location:

• Water Sanitation and Hygiene
• Emergency Food Security and Vulnerable Livelihoods
• Protection & Social Cohesion
• Gender Justice & Women Rights

Supporting local leadership and transformative partnerships, influencing decision-makers to address the root causes of poverty and inequality, ensuring women’s rights are at the center of everything we do, integrating the impact of climate change in our programming, promoting innovative ways to address the challenges of humanitarian and development work are among the key approaches to Oxfam in Iraq.

OUR TEAM

Oxfam in Iraq aims to strengthen the women’s empowerment movement by supporting Women’s Rights Organisations and their agenda. Using a transformative leadership for Women’s Rights approach and through a rights-based approach that promotes access to justice, our programmes will focus on:

• Women Peace and Security (WPS): In close collaboration with the Policy Advocacy and Communications team, we will support Women’s Rights Organisations engaged in the implementation of the second Iraqi National Action Plan, signed by the Iraqi authorities in December 2020. We will aim at strengthening existing national and regional networks (such as the Alliance 1325) and supporting movement building and formal or informal exchanges between WROs. Opportunities to promote women’s participation in electoral processes and to ensure women’s rights and needs are taken into consideration in the political campaigns will also be explored.
• Gender Based Violence (GBV): We will continue working on the prevention of and response to GBV, supporting the provision of services for survivors, addressing gender norms which condone the perpetration of violence and advocating for the reform of the legal framework (such as the passing of the anti-domestic violence law). We will make sure a GBV component is systematically integrated in emergency responses. Oxfam have committed funds and identified partners with ability to lead on GBV emergency response programmes. Oxfam in Iraq’s work will be guided by international standards and frameworks i.e the HPN (2014) Preventing and Responding to Gender Based Violence in Humanitarian Crises and Oxfam’s Guide on Ending Violence Against Women.
• Women Economic Empowerment (WEE): Knowing that when economic crises strike (which is expected as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic), women are the first ones to lose their jobs, we will increase our efforts to address the barriers women face to participate in income-generating activities and to enjoy the fruits of their productive work. WEE programs will therefore develop a feminist approach and take proactive measures to mitigate the effects of women’s unpaid care and domestic work.

The Gender Justice Programs also supports that gender is mainstreamed in all Oxfam in Iraq programmes; ensuring women’s rights are at the heart of everything we do. Achieving Gender Justice is a shared responsibility, requiring the participation and commitment of every individual working with Oxfam.

JOB PURPOSE

The Gender Justice Programme Manager is expected to be taking lead, setting and communicating overall direction in the Gender Justice programme as well as working closely and in coordination with the country programme teams to provide technical support to WASH, EFSVL and Protection teams ensuring our intervention is guided by Oxfam’s Minimum Standards on Gender in Emergencies, including through safe programming, strong gender analysis and awareness across our humanitarian teams and partners, and meaningful participation of women in the community groups that help us design and evaluate our actions.

The position also provides thought leadership and effective coordination in policy influencing initiatives where relevant while participating in resource mobilization in line with the Oxfam Iraq country strategy.

CORE DETAILS

Location: Erbil – with at least 50% travel to the field

Our package: Internal Grade: as per Oxfam salary scale C1Contract type: Fixed Term Contract

Hours of work: 40 hours per week. This is a full-time role; however, Oxfam offers various flexible arrangements which candidates can discuss with the Recruiting Manager at interview stage

This role reports to: Head of Program/deputy Country Director Staff reporting to this post: Gender project managers and gender Officers

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical

• Provide strategic leadership in planning and implementation of the Gender Justice programme in Iraq as per Oxfam standards and policy documents.
• Provide technical support to programme team and other staff members on thematic areas, primarily on women’s political participation, ending violence against women, women’s inclusion in security and peace agenda, and women’s economic empowerment.
• Ensure that the programme is implemented in compliance with donor contractual obligations. In particular, support the effective launch of the new project Women’s Voice and Leadership, as well as the final phases of Women and Governance and Naseej projects, and the continuous work on Gender and Advocacy across and beyond projects.
• Line manage the programme team ensuring that it operates in accordance with Oxfam’s policies and procedures, including, but not limited to, the Code of Conduct, Performance Management, Security and Health and Safety.
• Provide support and leadership to ensure women’s rights are at the heart of Oxfam’s humanitarian response strategy, and Oxfam’s commitment to transformative Gender Justice strategy informed by a conflict analysis.
• Ensure that the programme is aligned with and contributes to Oxfam’s MENA Gender Justice strategy; it is reviewed on regular basis and adapted to real needs in the country.
• Provide effective management of the overall programme budget, including monitoring projects’ expenditure and providing support with budget development, including follow up on co-funding planned between projects.
• Coordinate with support departments (Logs, HR, Finance and IT) in Oxfam Iraq’s HQ in Erbil to ensure the programme receives necessary support.
• Coordinate and review donor reporting (narrative and financial) for contracts related to the Gender Justice programme.
• Check monthly financial reporting and take measures to prevent over and underspending. In particular, ensure the continuity of the practice with project managers of holding monthly / bi-monthly Project (Award) Reviews.
• Ensure a continuous monitoring of target achievement and suggest corrective measures and realignment when necessary.
• Promote the integration of gender analysis and development of relevant recommendations in all assessments, surveys and research carried out by the Country Programme and provides support to partners to implement stand-alone interventions or those involving gender mainstreaming.
• Analyse the context for Oxfam’s Gender Justice programming, both for development and humanitarian interventions.
• Actively lead in the identification of funding opportunities and proposal development in coordination with field teams.
• Identify and foster potential partnerships and consortium-building essential for coordinated interventions in response to high-value calls for proposals.
• In close coordination with Oxfam’s senior management and field programme managers, ensure an effective implementation of the projects in the portfolio of the Gender Justice and Women’s Rights programme, including stand-alone projects and those with a gender mainstreaming components
• In close collaboration with the Oxfam Funding team, prepare monthly, quarterly and final progress reports ensuring that all reports are accurate and provide relevant update on project progress.
• Prepare monthly update on programme achievements, document lessons learnt and share success stories the programme has achieved based on the agreed format(s) with the management and Influencing team.
• In close collaboration with the country MEAL Coordinator, advise the senior leadership team on gender-inclusive MEAL tools that measure programme results as well as follow up on compliance for personal data protection agreed with MEAL.

Leadership

• Influence others to develop a shared understanding, personal and professional commitment and collaborative work towards achieving of Gender Justice and Women’s Rights.
• Ensure that Oxfam is known and respected for its work towards Gender Justice and Women’s Rights.
• Work with the Gender and Policy Coordinator, the Influencing team and partners to develop advocacy and policy positions on gender equality, gender in emergencies and women’s rights, and provide information to relevant actors on awareness raising at national and international levels.
• Organize advocacy campaigns mark international days and events involving Oxfam staff, partners, communities and decision-makers. In particular, ensure the full preparation and delivery of Oxfam and partners’ joint campaigns for 16 Days of Activism.
• Identify and network with women’s rights and women’s led organisations and networks on policy and action advancing Gender Justice and Women’s Rights in the country.
• Develop strategic partnerships with Women Rights Organizations and other relevant stakeholders and involve them in the programme while advancing women’s rights causes in the country.
• Promote actively the involvement of Women’s Rights Organisations in WASH, EFSVL and Protection programming to foster women’s participation and transformative leadership in such programmes.
• Represent Oxfam at national, regional and global events to enhance the programme’s visibility.
• Ensure that Oxfam is adequately represented in formal coordination mechanisms (including the Protection cluster and GBV sub-cluster) and recognised by relevant stakeholders including local NGOs, INGOs, UN agencies and government institutions.

HR Management

• Recruit Gender Officers and other Gender related positions for all the field offices upon needs.
• Follow up upon needs on staff contract endings and renewals.
• Line manage Gender Managers/Coordinators , providing technical support and coaching to ensure the smooth implementation of the programme.
• Coach the Gender Justice team and provide technical support and capacity building to foster the integration of feminist values and transformative principles in Oxfam programming.
• Work with HR to create learning opportunities for staff to improve the quality of programming using Oxfam’s GIE Minimum Standards and Feminist Principles, ECHO’s Gender Age Marker, IASC Gender Handbook, GBV Guidelines and other gender-inclusive methodologies.
• Organise learning events and facilitate training on feminist values and transformative principles in line with Oxfam’s global policies and commitment to Gender Justice and Women’s Rights, including working closely with the management on Feminist Principles at work and Women’s Leadership.

Other

• Required to adhere to Oxfam’s principles and values as well as the promotion of gender justice and women’s rights
• Understanding of and commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles

SKILLS, EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE

Essential

Programme development and funding

• Excellent understanding of gender issues in development and humanitarian programming, including key challenges and approaches to mainstreaming gender into programme design and management.
• Excellent understanding of different aspects of quality programming (for example: partnership, participation, accountability, innovation, gender and monitoring, evaluation and learning) and how these can be incorporated into field interventions.
• Ability to design project and programme documents – including strong knowledge of theories of change (logic models, logical frameworks), contextual analyses (e.g. power, gender, and conflict), budgets, MEAL plans.
• Ability and experience in leading programme development sessions/workshops.
• Understanding of programme/project cycle management practices in development programming.
• Strong technical competence in research, learning and monitoring and evaluation methods.
• Critical thinkingand reflection of lessons learnt in humanitarian and development practice.
• Results oriented, experience in managing high-value grants and a track-record of leading programme development processes that have resulted in gender-transformative projects/programmes regarded highly by donors. .
• Demonstrated capacity of successfully fundraising and growing programmes in organisations similar to Oxfam.
• Knowledge of donor environment, understanding of funding issues in relation INGOs work in emergencies and development.
• Creative and innovative approach to promoting Gender Justice and Women’s Rights agenda.
• Strong analytical and conceptual thinking skills, ability to translate complex issues into clear workable actions and plans.

Cross-cutting

• Knowledge of training tools and methods and proven experience delivering training on gender-inclusive and gender-transformative interventions.
• Excellent people skills, with proven ability to motivate others and work collaboratively, requiring strong self-awareness and inter-personal skills.
• Ability to adapt and work within a multicultural, multilingual and multidisciplinary environment.
• Ability to travel regularly at short notice.

Desirable

• Arabic language skills.
• Experience working in the Middle-East.
• Ability to support contextual analysis (including power, gender and conflict analysis).
• Highly developed strategic planning skills with ability to contribute to programme overall strategies.
• Extensive experience in capacity development role at senior level and ability to facilitate learning and knowledge management.

Key Attributes

• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences and gender issues, as well as the commitment to equal opportunities.
• Ability to demonstrate openness and willingness to learn, particularly with respect to gender-transformative programming and women’s rights.
• Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies to ensure all people who come into contact with Oxfam are as safe as possible