Gender Expert (based in Kabul, Afghanistan)

The European Institute of Peace is looking for exceptional individuals who share our vision for a world where people live in safety and peace because conflicts and grievances are resolved through inclusive dialogue and lasting political agreements.

We provide practical experience, technical expertise, and policy advice on conflict resolution. We use a variety of tools to help us do this, including analysis, mapping and design of peace processes and agreements, facilitating policy discussions, and proposing practical engagement, for example through inclusive dialogue and mediation support.

Based in Brussels and active in over a dozen countries, the European Institute of Peace is an independent organisation working collaboratively with European decision-makers, the parties to the conflict, and those who represent people suffering from insecurity or at risk of violence, as well as the conflict prevention, resolution and mediation community.

Our innovative approach to peace enables us to be agile, creative, and effective in everything we do, and these are key qualities we look for in our team members. See www.eip.org for more information.

We are looking for a Gender Expert to support the Institute’s programme in Afghanistan for two months to start on 15 November 2020.

Terms of References

Based in Kabul on a full-time basis, and initially embedded within the State Ministry for Peace (SMP), the expert will support the SMP on the development of a comprehensive gender policy, and provide gender-related advice to other state actors such as the Negotiation Team and the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), to successfully support women’s inclusion in intra-Afghan peace negotiations and their potential outcome.

Duties and responsibilities

In close coordination with the Institute’s Afghanistan Team Leader and Programme Manager:

· Advise on the development and implementation of a comprehensive gender policy for the SMP;

· Support the set-up of a gender unit within the Directorate for Civil Society and Human Rights of the SMP;

· Provide gender-related advice and support to the negotiation team and HCNR;

· Enhance coordination regarding gender inclusion/women’s rights amongst the institutions forming the Afghan peace architecture – through strategic sessions, briefings, written reports – to mainstream gender perspectives across the peace process and its outcomes;

· Advance engagements with Islamic scholars and women’s groups to build their capacity to input meaningfully into the peace process;

· Support the implementation and coordination of the Institute’s Gender work in Afghanistan at local, National and Regional level;

· Develop good relations with the United Nations, donors, other track II organisations and local actors working on gender and women’s rights in Afghanistan;

· Other tasks at the request of the Engagement, Dialogue & Process Design Unit (EDP) Director, Afghanistan Team Leader, Afghanistan Programme Manager, or Afghan counterparts.

Profile

· Advanced university degree in gender studies, political science, sociology, international relations or a related field;

· Minimum five years of experience as a gender advisor, for instance in support of a national peace ministry, in an advisory role to a government negotiation team or an equivalent support role related to one or more national peace processes;

· Experience of working in Afghanistan and strong knowledge of the Afghan peace process is highly desired;

· Experience working at a high political level on sensitive and confidential topics;

· Perfect command of English. Knowledge of Dari or Pashto is an asset;

· Willingness to deploy to Kabul and to conduct regional travel within Afghanistan and internationally as required;

· Ability to work independently, with meticulous attention to detail and as part of a small team.

The Institute offers

· Consultancy contract

· Fees, accommodation, travel and insurance