Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Specialist - HI-CAS

Position Overview:

The GESI Specialist will be responsible for supporting the delivery of results in line with the commitments ICIMOD has made in the HI-CAS Project Performance Measurement Framework, that is nested within our and our and related Results Framework 2023-26. ICIMODplaces GESI at the centre of its work, guided by its . This policy builds upon our long-standing commitment to gender issues within the changing context of the HKH, with more recent articulation of a proactive stance toward addressing social inclusion. 

The GESI Specialist will serve as the main point of contact for all gender- and social inclusion-related components of the HI-CAS project and ensure effective coordination and support across all project activities and partners, while also working closely with all members of the HI-CAS team.

The GESI Specialist will play a critical role in promoting intersectionality and ensuring that the voices and leadership of women and IPLCs—central to the project’s outcomes—are meaningfully included. This position also offers a unique opportunity to lead and advance the integration of feminist, intersectional approaches to GESI and Indigenous Peoples (IP) in climate adaptation and resilience efforts across Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal, with a specific focus on springshed management, renewable energy technologies, and agrobiodiversity practices.

Rooted in Global Affairs Canada’s (GAC) Feminist International Assistance Policy, the role will generate knowledge and evidence on GESI dynamics and Indigenous knowledge systems to inform inclusive, rights-based policies, programmes, and investments. It will also support the implementation of ICIMOD’s commitments under the HI-CAS project by ensuring that women, Indigenous Peoples, and disadvantaged groups are not only meaningfully engaged but also empowered as agents of change and equitably benefit from project interventions.

Background

The Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Specialist is being hired under the Integrated Climate Adaptation Solutions for the Hindu Kush Himalaya Region (HI-CAS) project at ICIMOD, funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) – Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD). The project aims to improve climate-resilient, nature-positive livelihoods while strengthening the leadership and agency of rural women and Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) in Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.

The project will be implemented through the adoption of gender-responsive and locally tailored climate adaptation solutions—grounded in feminist and human rights-based methodologies—that place the rights, agency, and leadership of IPLCs at the centre. These evidence-informed Integrated Adaptation Solution Packages (IASPs) will combine springshed management, renewable energy technologies for power irrigation systems, and agrobiodiversity practices. They will be complemented by capacity building and knowledge sharing to drive institutional policy and action, and to attract sustainable investments in climate action and development—particularly in the water, energy, and agrobiodiversity sectors—with a strong focus on women’s and IPLCs’ leadership.

The HI-CAS project will be implemented in two gewogs (blocks) in Bhutan—Paro and Punakha; two upazilas (sub-districts) in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh—Bandarban and Khagrachari districts; and two municipalities in Nepal—Roshi and Dhankuta. Over its four-year duration, the project aims to benefit approximately 40,000 IPLCs and other vulnerable groups by reducing their exposure and sensitivity to climate change impacts, while fostering ecosystem health and climate mitigation outcomes.

Method of application

Applicants are requested to apply online August 10, 2025 (11:59 pm Nepal Standard Time UTC+05:45) through the .

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

(Project Position) - Project: Integrated Climate Adaptation Solutions for the Hindu Kush Himalaya Region – HICAS

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