Gender Coordination Specialist - Micronesia

Volunteering

Overview

Establish gender coordination and technical support for UN Women in Micronesia.

You have:

• Strong knowledge of gender equity and women’s empowerment issues.
• Strong knowledge of UN system and understanding of inter-agency coordination processes.
• Experience in the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of programmes is required.
• Experience working in gender equality and women’s rights at the international level is desirable.
• Experience working in developing countries within the UN system, Agencies, Funds or Programs is desirable.

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

UN Women is establishing a post within the joint UN premises in the UN Micronesia MCO located in Pohnpei, FSM. The post will cover UN Women’s role in gender coordination and provision of gender analysis and technical assistance to the Micronesia MCO covering FSM, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau and Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI).
The UN Women Micronesia Gender Coordination Officer’s role will ensure that UN Women’s priorities in the Micronesia UNCT Member States as well as in alignment with the Pacific UNSDCF (2023-2027) and UN Women’s Pacific Strategic Note (2023-2027).

The position will be supervised by the Representative of the UN Women Fiji MCO, with matrixed reporting through the Resident Coordinator’s Office in Micronesia and the UN Women Fiji MCO Gender Coordination Specialist.

Key objectives will focus initially on:

1. UN Coordination: UN Women will actively contribute to normative work and UN coordination activities as part of the UN Micronesia MCO to support implementation of the UNSDCF and UN coherence and coordination. This will be done in consultation with the regional specialists (as appropriate).
2. Partnerships and coordination: Ensuring strategic partnerships with key external stakeholders and UN entities under the UN Micronesia MCO are established and maintained to support pro-gramme development and implementation and resource mobilization.
3. Gender and Protection: Supporting UN Women in contributing to ensuring that gender equality, women’s empowerment issues and protection concerns are effectively integrated in disaster preparedness and response efforts through coordination and linkages with the Pacific Humanitarian Protection Cluster of the UN Women Fiji MCO.

Once the Micronesia MCO UN Women Gender portfolio grows, the position will also be responsible for the following:

1. Programme Management: UN Women programming in the UN Micronesia MCO is designed and implemented in a coherent and well-coordinated manner through the provision of timely advice and programming support to UN Micronesia MCO and in-country programme teams.
2. Office Management: The UN Women presence, once established, is well managed, and any project staff recruited are supported to perform their duties in line with UN Women policies and procedures.

This IUNV position of Gender Coordination Specialist will assist UN Women in the Pacific in establishing a presence in the UN Micronesia multi-country office (MCO) in Pohnpei, FSM.

The UN Micronesia MCO covers countries in the North Pacific (Nauru, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI), Kiribati). The purpose of the presence is to ensure that coordinated support on advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in and that through the catalytic role of the Resident Coordinator (RC ) will serve the Micronesia states by working with resident and non-resident agencies, funds and programmes (AFPs) to identify needs, assess services currently provided and consider changes that improve UN support to governments in their pursuit of Agenda 2030 and the 2050 Blue Pacific Continent Strategy.

The initial focus of the position is to establish a UN coordination and programmatic presence, and to support the UN Micronesia MCO with gender coordination and technical support.

Under the direct supervision of the Representative UN Women Fiji MCO, the IUNV will undertake the following tasks:

1. Gender Situation Analysis – the first task will be to develop a stock take, or situation analysis of gender equality programming under the UN Micronesia MCO. Utilizing the UN Women Country Gender Equality Briefs for data, the Joint UN Common Country Analyses, the Micronesia country strategic plans, as well as UPR and CEDAW reports to develop a clear picture of the key priorities, stakeholders and gap areas that exist in the Micronesia MCO countries in progressing gender equality.

2. Establish a Gender Coordination Mechanism – Based upon the regional Gender Coordination group, establish and support a Micronesian gender coordination mechanism with key partners including Government Women’s Machineries, CSOs, UN agencies, donors and development partners to share and jointly plan efforts on gender equality. Support provided is both as secretariat as well as technical and coordination support. MCO level coordination and support to national coordination mechanisms.

3. Develop Joint Proposals (Resource Mobilization) - Based upon the situation analysis progress and in consultation with the technical specialists in the UN Women Fiji MCO, to lead on the development of program proposals (including for potential joint programmes) that will address key gender equality priorities and gap areas under the UN Micronesia MCO. This will require the IUNV to engage and coordinate with other UN agencies on the development of joint proposals for resource mobilization.

4. Establish the UN Women office and presence in the Micronesia MCO – Support the establishment of a UN Women desk initially, and if funding and resource mobilization is successful, to establish project presence in the Micronesia MCO premises / country premises.

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity • Integrity • Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues • Accountability • Creative Problem Solving • Effective Communication • Inclusive Collaboration • Stakeholder Engagement • Leading by Example

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:

https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values

Functional Competencies:

• Strong knowledge of gender equity and women’s empowerment issues • Strong knowledge of UN system and understanding of inter-agency coordination processes • Strong knowledge of results-based programme planning and management • Strong analytical skills • Ability to promote and monitor inclusion of gender-specific objectives, indicators, targets and activities in the UN agencies programmes • Ability to provide advice and support

working with inter-agency coordination and strategic programme planning processes is required. • Experience in the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of programmes is required. • Experience working in gender equality and women’s rights at the international level is de-sirable. • Experience working in developing countries within the UN system, Agencies, Funds or Pro-grams is desirable. • Advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment. • Human rights and social development. • UN system experience (planning, program development and implementation) monitoring and reporting.

The Federated States of Micronesia ( FSM), often referred to as Micronesia, is an island country in Oceania. It consists of four states – from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. Each of the four states is centered on one or more main high islands, and all but Kosrae include numerous outlying atolls. As a federal republic, each state not only has its own distinct history, culture, geography and language, it is also governed through a State Government linked to the Federal Government. The total population of FSM is around 110,000, with 35,000 living on Pohnpei. FSM enjoys year-round daily tropical temperatures of between 25-29 degrees with generally high humidity, and monsoon type rainfall on a near daily basis. There is a moderate risk of tropical storms and severe weather events. Pohnpei, and FSM more generally, is a natural paradise covered in rainforest and surrounded by lagoons and the Pacific Ocean.

FSM is a classified hardship Duty Station Level “C”, thus, it is important to be flexible and open-minded as the conditions are relatively basic. The country has remained COVID-19 free throughout the pandemic and is only just opening up with flights and travel returning to normal by August 2022.

Air travel to Pohnpei is through either United Airlines or Nauru Airlines, and they provide connections to Guam, Hawaii, Fiji and Australia. However, travelers should be aware that weather conditions can sometimes affect flight schedules.

The cost of living in Pohnpei is relatively moderate and in line with most other small Pacific Island Countries, with accommodation options mainly in modest guesthouses or apartment blocks. Availability of food, water, and electricity is generally reliable, with a variety of dining options featuring local cuisine. Almost all fresh produce and meat is imported into the country by boat, however fresh local seafood is readily and available. Medical facilities on the island are limited, so travelers are advised to bring any necessary medications. Banking facilities are available, but it is advisable to carry sufficient cash, as credit card acceptance may be limited. The local currency is US dollars. Communications infrastructure in Pohnpei includes mobile networks and internet access, although connection speeds may vary. There is a functioning international postal service and there are two main supermarkets on island, and two electronics stores. There is a small number of diners and several hotels and resorts available for on island tourism. All other types of goods need to be purchased via mail order. Amazon delivers to FSM. Accommodation ranges from one-bedroom apartments to small houses, both furnished and unfurnished. These are modest but all amenities are provided, but flexibility is required. Public transport in the form of taxis is cheap and reliable, depending on how directly you need to get to your destination as most taxis are group taxis. Most recreational activities are centered on outdoor activities and sports. Diving, snorkeling, fishing and sailing, as well as hiking are amongst the most popular leisure pursuits. In Kolonia there are several tennis courts and a public swimming pool. With some excellent tennis instructors being available, tennis is a also a very popular leisure activity amongst all. There are also two gyms and several running tracks/ location, and fitness classes are available.

In terms of climate, Pohnpei experiences a tropical rainforest climate with high humidity and abundant rainfall throughout the year. Travelers should pack lightweight, breathable clothing and be prepared for occasional showers. As for cultural awareness, visitors are encouraged to respect the local customs and traditions, including modest dress codes and a conservative approach to alcohol use, as the predominant religion is Christian.

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Potential interview questions

Added 2 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unv.org