National Gender Specialist

IMPORTANT NOTICE\: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

Organizational Setting

The main aim of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO’s) Representation in Tajikistan, which is headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist the Government of Tajikistan to develop policies, programmes and projects to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind, in line with the Organization’s Strategic Framework and United Nations’ global and Government of Tajikistan’s national Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The incumbent in this position will serve as a National Gender Specialist.

Background

The National Gender Specialist (NGS) will work under the direct supervision of the FAOR Tajikistan. The incumbent will collaborate closely with the relevant Technical Units at FAO country office, as well as the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (REU), and the Sub-regional Office for Central Asia (SEC).

Technical Focus

The incumbent will support and contribute by\: (i) providing technical advice to mainstream gender dimensions in the formulation and implementation of FAO Tajikistan projects and programmes, (ii) developing data, knowledge and information on gender gaps and dynamics in the agrifood systems in the regions, (iii) raising awareness and building capacities of FAO staff, government counterparts and implementing partners to address gender equality in their respective areas of work.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Provide technical backstopping and inputs for the preparation of project concept notes, focusing on gender mainstreaming practices, ensuring compliance with FAO, UN, and resource partner standards.
• Collaborate closely with relevant divisions to analyze gender and social inclusion considerations in FAO programming in Tajikistan.
• Offer technical advice, recommendations, and analysis to ensure the inclusion of women beneficiaries at both policy and implementation levels.
• Review stakeholder policies and make recommendations on gender and social inclusion.
• Identify gender training needs of FAO personnel, partners, government staff and the communities, develop training materials and tools, conduct training sessions, and provide follow-up support for capacity development.
• Support FAO in gender-related activities, communities of practice and gender networks, such as the Gender Thematic Group under the UN Country Team.
• Share gender-related knowledge products, good practices, lessons learned, and other relevant information for the country’s work.
• Disseminate the recently completed Country Gender Assessment among national stakeholders and promote its use in the formulation of the FAO Country Programming Framework, projects, and other country-level initiatives.
• Conduct a gender stocktaking exercise within the first six months of the assignment, provided it has not been done in the last four years. Present the findings and recommendations to the FAOR and country team.
• Prepare an action plan, based on the stocktaking report, to address gaps and weaknesses in gender mainstreaming.
• Develop an annual work plan that reflects specific gender-related activities and includes objectives; use the results of the stocktaking exercise, regional gender strategy and the Country Gender Assessment as a basis, if available.
• Contribute to project design, project documents and report reviews with a gender lens, including assigning gender markers, conducting systematic gender analysis, gender sensitive budgeting and integrating gender-sensitive activities aimed at women’s empowerment and reducing their work burden.
• Conduct regular field visits to project locations to monitor progress and provide guidance on gender mainstreaming
• In consultation with FAO technical officers, explore opportunities for resource mobilization for gender-related work.
• Assist in gender/GBV working groups meetings/workshops.
• Keep senior management and colleagues informed and updated on gender-related information, results, and requirements pertinent to the country office’s work.
• Support project managers and collaborate closely with the M&E Specialist to generate gender- and age- disaggregated data, evidence, lessons learned and best practices on the projects’ impact on different groups, including through project reviews and documentation of gender- sensitive good practices
• Perform any other duty assigned by the supervisor.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA\:

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in gender studies, social sciences, rural sociology, agricultural economics, anthropology, rural development, or other relevant disciplines.
• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience in gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment specifically in the implementation and monitoring of development projects.
• Proficiency (level C) in English.
• Working knowledge (level C) of Tajik and Russian.
• National of the Republic of Tajikistan or resident of the country with valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Profound experience in mainstreaming gender in the project and programme’ s cycle, particularly in the field of agriculture, natural resource management, emergency and early recovery.
• Prior experience in gender and/or social protection in the context of Tajikistan.
• Proven research and analytical skills, with focus on gender analysis.
• Strong command of Ms Office® software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Prior experience with the UN and other international or national organizations, with focus on women in development. Good communication and inter-personal skills and commitment to work in a participatory way.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
• For other issues, visit the FAO employment website\: http\://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp

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