GLOBAL ADVOCACY & COMMUNICATIO OFFICER

For the Free to be Me program

Period: asap, starting with one-year contract, project till 31-12-2025

Scope: Free to be Me program

Region: Global

Location: The Hague, The Netherlands, Hivos’ Global Office

Hours: 32

Reports to: Global Program Manager F2BM

Level: Medior

JOB CONTEXT

Free to be Me is a global, 5 year (2021 – 2025), inspiring and innovative program contributing to a vibrant LGBTIQ+ civil society, that is able to successfully generate public support and influence governments, businesses and societal actors to become advocates for LGBTIQ+ people’s human and socio-economic rights.

This global program is being implemented in 14 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The Free to be Me consortium consists of three civil society organizations ILGA World, Positive Vibes, and Hivos, of which Hivos is in the lead. The program is being implemented in partnership with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Free to be Me connects rightsholders with one another in local Communities of Action (CoAs) and supports and coaches them, so that they are better able to advocate for, claim, protect, and promote their rights, needs and ideas.

Main goal of the position

The Global Advocacy & Communication Officer (GACO) ensures that the work realized in Free to be Me, and the results achieved in this program reaches and engages a wider audience, using innovative and inspiring communication methods. The GACO identifies and amplifies the stories of the rightsholders, their organizations and their work. She/he/they specifically focuses on the Dutch public by targeting Dutch media and by working together with a variety of parties to organize and host (offline) awareness raising events.

This role is critical for the Free to be Me advocacy and policy influence within the Dutch society. The GACO develops, leads and manages the advocacy dimension at Dutch national level. Together with consortium partners, and aligning with and drawing on priorities of local organizations and groups, she/he/they will be responsible for developing and implementing a Dutch foreign policy advocacy strategy. The GACO also supports the participation of Dutch trans, intersex and/or LGBTIQ+ persons of color-led organizations in global advocacy efforts.

The GACO additionally supports the development and execution of an international level advocacy agenda. To do so, she/he/they works in close liaison with the Free to be Me alliance members and local organizations, ensuring partnership action and rightsholder-led advocacy efforts. The positionholder is responsible for shaping the program’s response to emerging political and policy trends; weaving the connection to commitments in Ducth society.

To implement the Free to be Me global and Dutch level advocacy strategy, she/he/they supports activists and (helps to) organize events, provides training, writes advocacy papers or reports. She/he/they will regularly update and improve the advocacy strategies based on local priorities, Dutch & international advocacy opportunities and lessons learned. Furthermore, the GACO will oversee and be responsible for Hivos’ global advocacy budget of this program.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Develop and implement an internal & external communication strategy

• Develop a communication strategy for Free to be Me programs, with involvement of consortium members and local organizations, and honoring our commitment to local ownership and youth leadership, and implement that strategy.

Internal cohesion in the consortium

• The internal aspect of the communication strategy should aim to increase connection and cohesion in the consortium by stimulating sharing best practices and realizing a shared understanding of the program’s external positioning.

External positioning and representation

• Identify and amplify voices of Free to be Me partners, so that they are able to reach a wider audience. In doing so, strengthening and supporting local organizations and capacities where possible and relevant.
• Ensure that these voices are translated into communication materials such as articles, videos, illustrations, infographics etc. and disseminate these through relevant channels.
• Develop unique ways to reach the Dutch public, including support for street outreach
• Organize on- and offline events to increase the understanding of the wider public, and particularly the Dutch public, about the lived realities of rightsholders, and build support for the work of the program.

Advocacy

• Building on rightsholders’ priorities, she/he/they co-formulates key issues; designs advocacy strategies for change and proactively creates entry points and interventions in order to generate space and support for these priorities, ideas and activities with key decision makers and at key global positioning events.
• Closely engages with rightsholders, consortium members, other organizations and donors; creates or co-creates the necessary preconditions for successful advocacy and lobby activities and innovation; maps out advocacy opportunities and spaces for Free to be Me; initiates, facilitates and manages or co-manages relevant and effective advocacy campaigns (and the teams involved).

Coordinate with program and Hivos teams

• Closely work with the program teams in the implementing regions and countries to define focus and priorities, and to identify relevant stories.
• Closely work with the Free to be Me Economic Development focal point in ensuring that the global advocacy strategy has economic rights at the core of Hivos’ engagement in global advocacy spaces.
• Closely work with Hivos’ communication teams to ensure consistency in messaging as well as to ensure mutual support and collaboration and joint work on campaigns and events.

REQUIREMENTS

This is a medior position for nationals or residents with a valid working permit for The Netherlands:

Relevant degree or equivalent work experience, and academic level of working and thinking.

• Able to speak and write both Dutch and English fluently.
• At least 5 years of relevant work experience in the field of sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, sex characteristics (SOGIESC), human rights, being aware of and having engaged in related advocacy activities.
• Knowledge and understanding of the lived realities of rightsholders, and particularly of LGBTIQ+ persons.
• Proven ability to access and influence relevant national and international networks of social action.
• Recognized expert in SOGIESC advocacy and campaigning; experience in linking global with regional and national advocacy.
• Ability to co-create and implement communication and advocacy strategies with local organizations and consortium members.
• Experience in training, accompanying and supporting local organizations and rightsholders in leading their SOGIESC advocacy.
• Experience in successful positioning and representing views and proposals at high level international fora, Dutch national level and in diverse media channels.
• Ability to successfully amplify the voices of rightsholders, and the work of Free to be Me, so that it reaches a broader public, using diverse media channels and innovative methods.
• Experience in producing media products (writing texts, producing videos, etc.) and/or accompanying the realization of such products by others.
• A relevant network in the Netherlands (e.g. among journalists and/or organizations sharing our ambitions) which can be engaged to promote and reinforce the work of the program.
• An open-minded team player who enjoys working in different contexts and with different stakeholders (Hivos colleagues, consortium partners and local organizations around the world).
• Ability to think and act creatively and ‘outside the box’ to increase impact of communication and advocacy activities.
• Proactive and positive attitude, able to connect and skilled in organizing and planning.
• High level of integrity and activist attitude; access to power to make change happen.
• Lived experience as part of one or more of the rightsholder groups is an asset.
• Level skills: conceptual skills, persuasiveness, cooperation, influence
• Job skills: communication, advocacy, research, project management