Job Title: Program Officer
Hiring Organization: Equality Now
Location – Locality: Nairobi
Location – Region: Kenya
Industry: NGO
Job Type: Full Time
Salary: KES
Date Posted: 06/05/2024
Equality
Now is a non-governmental organization founded in 1992 whose purpose is to, in
its own words, work “for the protection and promotion of the human rights of
women and girls around the world”.
Position
/ Role Summary
To
enhance the application and implementation of the Maputo Protocol, the Program
Officer (PO) will support Equality Now’s work and advocacy for the full
ratification, domestication, implementation, and accountability of the Maputo
Protocol and other regional instruments.
Responsibilities
Working
with various stakeholders including judiciaries, academia and law students,
civil society organizations, and Regional Bodies and their Member States to
enhance the awareness of and uptake of the Maputo Protocol as an advocacy tool
for gender equality in Africa, including to:
Increase
awareness and advocacy by law students and women’s rights advocates on the
Maputo Protocol, contributing to progressive jurisprudence and advocacy for
governments’ compliance with the Maputo Protocol
Enhance
the capacity of legal practitioners and judicial officers to utilize the Maputo
Protocol and related international and regional instruments in women’s and
girls’ rights litigation and decisions
Enhance
the capacity of civil society organizations to advocate for legislative reforms
to give effect to judicial pronouncements on women’s rights including the right
to abortion services, maternal health services, and access to sexual and
reproductive health rights in Kenya
Support
the coordination of Equality Now’s and SOAWR members’ engagement with the
Africa Human Rights System and judicial mechanisms
Support
strategic and public interest litigation including the identification and
development of landmark and strategic cases for Equality Now’s support in
Africa
Document
and analyze the outcomes of litigation on the continent concerning the Maputo
Protocol and other international treaties on women’s and girls’ rights.
Work with
relevant departments of Regional Partners to influence ratification,
domestication and enforcement of human rights regional instruments on women’s
rights and gender equality
Coordinating
and working closely with the SOAWR Coalition, of which Equality Now’s Africa
Office is the Secretariat, as guided by the Senior Legal Advisor for Africa.
Ensuring
clear and consistent communication and coordination with relevant SOAWR member
representatives particularly in relation to working with regional bodies and
their member states to advance the rights of women and girls.
Develop,
implement, and monitor project work plans, budgets, and reports.
Support
litigation projects and monitor
Any other
duties that may be assigned from time to time.
Legal
Equality
Keeping
abreast of human rights issues affecting women and girls in Africa,
particularly regarding the above objective and focus areas
Researching
and preparing evidence on discrimination for national and regional advocacy and
lobbying activities in Africa
Establishing
and maintaining contacts with organizations campaigning for the respect and
promotion of women’s and human rights
Coordinating
advocacy actions with Legal Equality’s partners
Coordinating
and working closely with the Senior Legal Advisor for Africa and all other
teams (particularly End Sexual Violence and End Harmful Practices teams).
Ensuring
clear and consistent communication and coordination with relevant thematic
Global Leads and the other campaign teams particularly in relation to regional
emerging trends or opportunities in relation to their program goals
Contributing
to the drafting of high-quality technical submissions to public institutions
(e.g. on draft laws, policy, etc.) and human rights treaty bodies and
mechanisms (e.g. UN CEDAW Committee, African Commission)
Contributing
to the collection, collation and analysis of Equality Now’s monitoring and
evaluation data to inform learning and action to end discrimination against
women and girls and promote protections
Contributing
to generating Equality Now actions and alerts on campaigns against violations
of women’s rights in Africa, particularly as relevant to Equality Now’s Legal
Equality work
Develop
annual and quarterly milestones and document progress in the Campaign Tracker
and relevant reports.
Contribute
to the development of proposals and donor reports.
Support
the SOAWR members in in-country ratification missions and domestication efforts
of the Maputo Protocol.
Support
SOAWR members and other CSOs in their efforts to advocate for lifting
reservations on the Maputo Protocol
Media and
Communications
Collaborate
with Equality Now’s media and communications teams to provide content emerging
from our work in Africa.
Other
duties as reasonably requested
Participate
in and contribute to Equality Now staff meetings, including relevant thematic
group discussions
Key
stakeholders
The PO
will work with and interface with various stakeholders including SOAWR members,
CSOs, law students, academic institutions, African Union institutions and other
inter-governmental agencies, governments, embassies and donors.
Key
Competencies
Professionalism:
Ability to prioritize work and be well organized in the execution and
presentation of tasks; maintain good quality of work and consistency in this
regard; exemplify a high degree of accountability for actions taken and not
taken; work with minimum supervision; show commitment to the role and
willingness to do more than what is expected; be courteous and willing to learn
at every opportunity presented; seek clarity when unsure about expectations on
delivery of work; ability to remain motivated; results-oriented and with the
ability to work independently and take initiative.
Research,
Analysis, and Writing: Knowledge and understanding of human rights law,
especially as it relates to women and girls; a firm knowledge of the content
and application of the Maputo Protocol is highly desirable; ability to conduct
high-quality legal research and apply efficient research strategies; ability to
analyze and evaluate large amounts of information and draw justified
conclusions; excellent writing and referencing skills.
Communication:
Fluency in spoken and written English and French (preferred); clarity in
written and oral presentations; exercise of active listening; demonstration of
openness in sharing information; communicating when necessary, for example,
when experiencing challenges in meeting deadlines.
Interpersonal
skills: Ability to resolve conflict; ability to take up additional tasks when
required to do so; ability to work in a team and collaborate with other
colleagues for the execution of specific tasks.
Organizational
skills: Strong planning and organising skills and proven ability to steer and
monitor progress against plans in order to deliver on set goals and results.
Previous experience working within coalitions and consortia of organizations
working on human rights and/or the rights of women and girls in Africa is
desirable.
Academic
And Professional Qualifications
Minimum
bachelor’s degree in law, human rights, international relations, gender
studies, social sciences, or a related field is required
Minimum
of three (3) years’ work experience in the non-profit, NGO, community
development sectors or related field
A strong
grasp of the African human rights system, women and girls’ rights issues in
Africa, continental dynamics, and their effects on the implementation of key
treaties underpinning the rights of women and girls in Africa
Proven
track record of knowledge and commitment – exhibited by coursework, writing, or
work experience – to the rights of women and girls in Africa
Excellent
organizational skills and ability to manage concurrent deadlines
Fluency
in English (required) and French (preferred)
Excellent
writing, research, and analytical skills
Strong
communication, excellent interpersonal, and networking skills
Proficiency
in Microsoft Office Suite and strong technical literacy
Desirable
Budgeting
and financial management
Connection
to existing networks with feminist and women’s rights organizations in Africa
Experience
engaging with the media in Africa
Successful
convening of moot court competitions.
