International Gender Specialist

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP) is located in Apia, Samoa and covers 14 Pacific Island countries. FAO recognizes the important role rural women and men, together play as key holders in ending hunger and extreme poverty. Rural women and girls, in particular, are recognized as major agents of change. Across low-income countries, women make up 48 percent of agricultural employment.

As farmers and farm workers, horticulturists, market operators, business women, entrepreneurs and community leaders, women and men fulfil important roles throughout the agri-food value chains, as well as in the management of natural resources as land and water. However, the gender gap in food and agriculture is rather extensive. Women farmers and farm workers remain under-represented in local institutions and governance mechanisms and tend to have less decision-making power. Moreover, prevailing gender norms and discrimination often leads women to face an excessive work burden being unrecognized and unpaid.

FAO’s commitment to gender equality is recognised and currently operationalized through the project “Reducing COVID-19 Related Food Insecurity in the Pacific Region”. The initiative is funded by the Government of Canada for a two-year period and includes five Pacific island countries (Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Niue, Palau and the Solomon Islands).

The project includes the following three outcomes:

Outcome 1: Enhanced COVID-19 impact analysis, including rapid gender analysis to identify gender gaps, to inform gender-sensitive national and regional response plans, strategies, policies and actions.

Outcome 2: Strengthened household gender-sensitive agriculture production and resources management for more resilient to disasters in the selected countries.

Outcome 3: Strengthened national and regional coordination on gender-sensitive food security and agriculture in the Pacific.

Reporting Lines

The International Gender Specialist will be placed under the overall supervision of the FAO Sub-regional Coordinator (SRC) for the Pacific Islands and directly reports to the Natural Resource Officer, SAP Gender Focal Point and LTO for GCP/SAP/004 SAP. She/he will also liaise closely with SAP Multi-disciplinary Team (MDT), Project Managers for FMM/GLO/149/MUL and GCP/SAP/004/CAN, including Social Protection Division (ESP)’s gender team in FAO headquarters.

Technical Focus

The role of the International Gender Specialist is to ensure effective operationalization of current and potential gender-related aspects envisaged in the project activities within the five recipient countries, whilst utilising the resources assigned to the project.

Tasks and responsibilities

The International Gender Specialist will undertake the following tasks and responsibilities as indicated:

GCP/SAP/004/CAN

• Collecting, analysing and reviewing available data and information on Covid-19. Specifically, on the situation and trend of women, men and youth in rural and peri-urban areas, including already available Covid-19 assessments in the Pacific Islands, FAO country gender assessments and other available reports. Data will have to be disaggregated by sex and age as part of the needs assessments to support targeting and agricultural inputs distribution and further formulate gender-sensitive indicators to support the monitoring and evaluation of project activities;
• Identifying and integrating best practices, available at national, regional and global levels, to promote gender equality and social inclusion in the implementation of the project activities,
• Providing and developing quality training material for training sessions in engaging vulnerable women, men and youth (environmentally-sustainable gender-sensitive, eco-friendly, climate-smart good agriculture practices and natural resource management);
• Enhancing skills and knowledge on available gender equality and social inclusion tools of government personnel at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, Fisheries & Biosecurity, as well as chiefs, target women, men youth and people with disabilities within the beneficiary communities of the project;
• Providing guidance to LTO and Project Team Management in the delivery of key gender and social inclusion aspects, including the identification and addressing of existing and potential protection risks;
• Promoting key gender and social inclusion aspects within the Regional Pacific Food Security Cluster;
• Coordinating with relevant national and regional gender and social inclusion networks, on gender equality and social inclusion aspects;
• Supporting the mainstreaming of gender sensitive approaches in capacity development trainings and workshops, including plans and policies;
• Integrating the most vulnerable individuals (women, men and youth) and households in affected communities in the design, implementation, monitoring and funding decisions of emergency programming (inclusive and gender-responsive manner);
• Supporting FAO SAP Gender Focal Point to implementation FAO SAP Gender Workplan, including engage and support the gender mainstreaming in other FAO SAP projects and programmes; and
• Performing any other tasks as required by the Supervisor.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum requirements

The Candidates will be assessed according to the following criteria:

• University degree in Development Studies, Gender, Climate Change, Agriculture, Natural Resource Management, Social Sciences, Law or relevant-to-the-project disciplines;
• At least 5 years of field experience in working on gender-related and climate change matters at relevant levels; solid working experience in conducting country gender assessments and mainstreaming gender into projects and programmes; consistent experience in organizing workshops and training sessions on gender-related and climate change topics;
• Working knowledge of English (level C) and limited knowledge (level B) of one the other FAO languages; working knowledge of English for PSA.SBS.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus;
• Teamwork;
• Communication;
• Building Effective Relationships;
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement.

Technical functional skills

• Experience in supporting and/or managing gender initiatives related to food security, market-oriented productions and access, livestock and natural resources management;
• Experience in establishing and maintaining partnerships with government institutions, UN agencies, INGOs and donors; and
• Ability to travel frequently to project sites (COVID-19 travel restrictions may apply).
• Knowledge and experience in the Pacific Region within the social, economic and geopolitical context of the Pacific;
• Basic knowledge on FAO agenda on gender, climate change, Sustainable Development Goals, food security and nutrition.