Associate Director, Gender Equality and Social Power

Overview

Women for Women International (WfWI) works in some of the most dangerous places to be a woman. We serve women survivors of war in conflict and post-conflict areas around the world in 8 countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Eastern Congo, and Northern Nigeria. Our core belief is that stronger women build stronger nations; and with access to knowledge, resources, and a support network, a woman rebuilds her life and improves her community.

Our model works and we have the data to prove it. In our 26-year history, Women for Women International has reached over half a million women. The women we work with across 3 continents earn just $0.81 a day when we enroll them. At graduation, it’s $2.11, nearly tripled.

Our impact goes beyond income. The number of women who say at least one household member went to sleep hungry in the last four weeks has gone from 18% to 5%. And more women say they speak out against women’s abuse: 26% report having publicly spoken in the last 6 months against physically abusing women.

When women have the right tools, they realize the power within themselves to transform their lives, their families, their communities, and finally their entire nations.

Purpose

Women for Women International has an immediate opportunity for an experienced Associate Director of Gender Equality and Social Power. This position will report to the Senior Director of Program Design and Development and be a member of the Global Programs Unit (GPU).

The Global Programs Unit (GPU) at Women for Women International supports Country Office programs in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Sudan. It also provides funding and technical support to partner organizations and local affiliates (previous country office) in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

To be closer to our programs, we have a strong preference for candidates from and based in Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East or Central Asia, with priority for conflict-affected areas where WfWI operates (Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan, Nigeria, Rwanda and DRC). However, WfWI is open to candidates in US and European locations with lived experience in WfWI’s target countries. Post-COVID expected travel is 20-25%.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Based on their experience and expertise, the Associate Director will guide WfWI in furthering its extensive women’s social power program portfolio, with a focus on gender-transformative programming in fragile and conflict-affected countries. WfWI’s Gender Equality and Women’s Social Power portfolio includes, but is not limited to: literacy awareness, building life skills, basic health education and referrals, women’s rights, agency and decision making, women’s leadership and networking, violence against women/GBV prevention, grassroots advocacy and engaging men as allies in gender equality. Cross-cutting issues include displacement and disability inclusion. They are the primary point of contact for WfWI’s Country Offices for supporting context-specific gender equality and social power strategies, fundraising and program implementation.

Leadership in Gender Equality and Social Power

• Serve as the primary technical expert in gender equality and social power for WfWI globally
• Provide strategic advice to senior management to guide policy, planning, and delivery
• Develop programmatic partnerships to further WfWI’s programming
• Develop global guidance to improve gender equality and social power programming based on gaps in existing programs, and work with teams to develop country-specific plans, innovative approaches and mechanisms to address gaps (technology, partnerships, etc.)
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of research and practice, and facilitate shared learning and peer support platforms across all WfWI offices

Technical Guidance in Design and Planning

• Coordinate closely with the Associate Director of Women’s Economic Power, as well as other technical team members, to ensure integrated social and economic power programing for women
• Provide high quality technical guidance to Country Offices and teams for gender equality and social power program improvement especially in effective training facilitation and new areas of work
• Carry out regular monitoring and technical assistance to Country Offices to support the effective implementation of their gender equality and social power programming
• Collaborate with M&E team to contribute to the development of WfWI’s M&E system-related activities
• Review and analyze global and country-specific outcome indicator data, and other evaluations, research and reports related to gender equality and social power, with country teams, as a basis for improving program approaches
• Provide support to country teams in strategic and operational planning

Fundraising Efforts

• Lead gender equality and social power program design for grant proposals or new project concepts
• Develop highly impactful messages about our program to share with donors
• Collaborate with business development teams on finding and responding to funding opportunities

Relationship Building and External Representation

• Establish relationships and coordination with regional and global NGOs, institutions, UN bodies, and networks
• Support country teams to develop partnerships and linkages with other organizations, government and private sector working on gender equality and social power issues at national, regional and community levels
• Represent WfWI in networks and coalitions (e.g. GBV Coalition, WPS Network, MIUSA’s the Excellence in Development and Disability Inclusion (EDDI)) and at global and regional forums
• Support the global advocacy team in developing key messages and policy papers on related issues

Cross-Organizational Communication & Teamwork

• Maintain regular communications with Country Offices, US (HQ), UK, DE and other departments in HQ
• Share up to date knowledge of research, policy and practice with the global organization

Qualifications and Skills

• Required Bachelor’s degree in international development, gender studies, or related field; graduate degree highly desirable

• Minimum nine years’ relevant work experience in international development, with emphasis on gender equality and women’s social power, of which at least five years must be at managerial level

• Lived experience in WfWI’s target countries (or similar) is highly desirable

• Demonstrated knowledge of relevant social and economic development issues such as poverty, power, women’s rights and empowerment, gender, and conflict

• Analytical ability and extensive experience in creating project plans, implementing plans, managing grants and budgets

• Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to support a large, complex, diverse and multi-cultural team of people through a participatory and enabling management style

• Demonstrated capacity to serve as a coach or mentor of individuals from diverse race, ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and professional backgrounds for staff development and capacity building

• Demonstrated experience with fundraising, such as contributing to gender analyses, theory of change, inputs into logframes, etc.

• Experience with capacity building and participatory adult learning training (e.g. curriculum development) highly desirable

• Successful at establishing and maintaining internal and external relationships, building trust, and inspiring teamwork

• Confidence and experience in external representation and public speaking
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; working knowledge of a language of WfWI’s country teams (French, Kiswahili, Dari, Kurdish, etc.) highly desirable; knowledge of other local languages would be an advantage
• Good judgment and problem-solving skills, positive attitude, demonstrated willingness to take initiative especially in changing security contexts, political dynamics and budgetary shifts
• Commitment to and respect for Women for Women International’s mission and values
• Strong computer skills in MS Word, Excel, internet, email applications

Physical Demands:

• May require bending, lifting, standing, sitting, computer work, etc.