Gender Equality Coordination Specialist

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace, and security. UN Women Tanzania is implementing its Strategic Note (2017-2021), the successful achievement of which requires strategic support for programmatic level coordination on several key areas.

UN Women has the mandate to lead, coordinate and promote the accountability of the United Nations system in its work on gender equality and the empowerment of women at the corporate, regional, and country team levels. In Tanzania, UN Women is working together with other UN Agencies to implement the United Nations Development Assistance Plan 2016-2021 (UNDAP II) to support the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania to achieve its national development objectives and plans as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Under UNDAP II, UN Women leads and coordinates gender mainstreaming responsibilities of the UN Country Management Team (UNCMT) and the functions as the Secretariat of the Gender Coordination Mechanism for GEWE, including through implementation of the UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard for enhanced coherence accountability in the work of the UN system on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women in Tanzania. In addition, the UN Tanzania COVID-19 Coordination Framework was established early in the pandemic and includes three pillars: Public Health, Socio-Economic Impact, and Leaving No One Behind (LNOB). Each pillar is co-led by two UN Agencies, with UN Women and UNFPA leading the LNOB pillar. The framework was designed to secure a comprehensive overview of all related activities within the UNDAP II structure, as well as coordinate short-term and longer-term response and recovery efforts. To date, this has included drafting an Emergency Appeal and developing a Socio-Economic Response Framework (which is currently ongoing) and will continue with other upcoming strategic opportunities.

Under its Women’s Leadership Program, Wanawake Wanaweza II, UN Women also supports two essential coordination mechanisms:

1. The Steering Committee with the representation of Development Partners including the project donors, the National Gender Machinery and Implementing Partners, and it provides strategic direction to the project;
2. The Technical Committee which is composed of technical staff from implementing partners with the aim of enhancing collaboration and synergies. Additionally, within the UNDAP II, UN Women leads the Outcome Group on Women’s Leadership and Political Participation within the Thematic Results Group on Governance, Human Rights, and Gender Equality.

UN Women also provides advisory and technical support to government institutions including the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (MoHCDGEC) and the Ministry of Labour, Empowerment, Women, Youth, Senior Citizen and Children (MLEWYSC&C) Development In Zanzibar as well as sectoral ministries with a view to strengthening national ownership and mechanisms for policy dialogue on gender and the gender mainstreaming architecture. As part of implementing this mandate, UN Women co-chairs the Gender Mainstreaming Working Group - Macro Policy (GMWG-MP) together with the MoHCDGEC and provides similar support to the Gender Mainstreaming Technical Working Group (GMTWG) in Zanzibar.

Under the overall guidance of the Country Representative, and dual supervision of the WLPP Programme Manager, the  Gender Equality Coordination Specialist will be responsible for strengthening accountability of results for gender equality and women's empowerment, enhancing efficiencies, improving  UN system-wide coherence on GEWE, and joint action through better coordination between UN agencies,  WLPP Project, the government and development partners.

Lead and provide technical support to inter-agency coordination mechanisms:

• Participate in UNDAP Outcome Results Group (ORG) on Women’s Leadership and Political Participation (WLPP) and ensure gender equality and women’s rights are mainstreamed in processes and documents, as delegated and under the guidance of the Country Representative and WLPP Programme Manager;
• Participate and provide technical inputs in the LNOB Pillar of UN Tanzania Coordination Framework to ensure effective integration of UN Women contributions;
• Provide technical support to macro-level government and donor gender¬ coordination structures, including institutional capacity development and strategic planning;
• Provide strategic inputs to the planning, implementation, and monitoring of the UNCT Gender Scorecard, including through the development of annual work plans, in line with the UNDAP/UNSCDF guidelines;
• Provide technical inputs, including background notes, as the Secretariat of the WLPP ORG,  the UNCMT Gender Equality Coordination Mechanism, PSEA Network, and the LNOB Taskforce under the guidance of the Country Representative and Programme Manager WLPP;
• Provide technical support to joint inter-agency UN planning processes and similar exercises;
• Oversee the monitoring and annual reporting of the implementation of UNCT-SWAP gender equality scorecard action plan and recommend to the RCO, UN Women and UNCMT on achievement of UNSDG minimum gender requirements.

Provide programme support to Coordination functions and priorities:

• Contribute to CO’s annual work planning and reporting processes, ensuring that Coordination is clearly visible in  annual workplans and budgets and preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting;
• Assist in the selection, orientation and supervision of consultants, and interns to the Coordination team;
• Collaborate with other UN Women Program and Operations Team in the dissemination of information and results from the implementation of the UN system-wide accountability frameworks on gender mainstreaming;
• Contribute to Country Office priorities, events, and activities such as International Women’s Day, Beijing plus 25, Rural Women’s Day, 16 Days of Activism, preparations for CSW and other relevant inter-divisional and inter-agency task forces, as required;
• Provide substantive support to policy papers, briefing notes and talking points as required;
• Represent UN Women at briefings and external meetings as required;
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• Participate and represent the Country Office in the UN Women Community of Practice of Interagency Coordination and share knowledge and best practice;
• Ensure effective participation in UNDAP II Outcome Group on WLPP, TRG Governance, HR and GE discussions, and integration of WLPP contributions in UNDAP/UNSDCF planning, reporting, review, and evaluation processes;
• Ensure efficient preparations of the WLPP Project Steering Committee and Technical Committee meetings, as well as UNDAP II Outcome Group on WLPP including planning of meetings, communication, information sharing, development of workplans and reporting in line with WLPPP II project and UNDAP II.

Contribute to the development of strategic partnerships and resource mobilization efforts:

• Identify potential opportunities for mobilization of resources for UN Women’s Gender Coordination functions and mandate, including Joint UN system programming for GEWE;
• Represent UN Women in the Development Partner Group for Gender Equality;
• Provide technical inputs to strengthening strategic partnerships and coordination for GEWE within the UN System and with external partners, including government and development partners through the Gender Mainstreaming Working Group Macro-Policy, in close collaboration with Inter-governmental Specialist;
• Prepare background documents and analysis to forge and implement strategic partnerships and to increase outreach and visibility on UN Women’s coordination work in country, in collaboration with Communications Team;
• Identify effective strategies for UNCMT to engage with Women Civil Society Organizations.

Provide advocacy and communication support:

• Support greater visibility to GEWE normative and operational aspects of the UNCMTs work, in close collaboration with the UN Program Management Team, UN Operational Management Team, the UN Communication Group and the UNCMT Gender Coordination Mechanism for GEWE and other structures, as needed;
• Support awareness raising and sensitization efforts around GEWE normative frameworks for technical staff in strategic UNCMT coordination mechanisms and structures in Tanzania;
• Participate in and contribute to policy dialogues around gender equality and the empowerment of women, as necessary;
• Organize and provide technical inputs to a series of trainings for relevant UNDAP/UNSDCF  management structures, including sensitizing UN Women staff, the Gender Coordination Mechanism for GEWE  and others.

Facilitate knowledge building and sharing:

• Lead and coordinate the UNCMT annual reporting process on SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard, for the Secretary-General Report on Gender Mainstreaming in the UN System;
• Provide support to the development and dissemination of good practices and lessons learned within UN Women and for UN System;
• Liaise with UN Women Regional and HQ Coordination Division on new developments, best practices and lessons learnt and knowledge generation in strengthening delivery of UN Women’s coordination mandate;
• Contribute to capacity building exercises, as necessary.

Key Performance Indicators

• Timely and quality contributions to the CO’s coordination efforts;
• Timely coordination and monitoring of gender coordination strategies and activities;
• Quality inputs and technical support provided to UN agencies, as necessary;
• Quality inputs to planning processes and reports, and quality support to the Country Representative;
• Increased awareness of UN Women’s coordination mandate and functions;
• Increased resources mobilized and interest in GEWE among partners and donors.

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example

Functional Competencies

• Good knowledge of gender equity and women’s empowerment issues;
• Good knowledge of UN system and understanding of inter-agency coordination processes;
• Excellent drafting, editing and oral presentation skills and ability to write and advocate succinctly;
• Strong planning and organizing skills;
• Good knowledge of results-based programme planning and management;
• Ability to promote and monitor inclusion of gender-specific objectives, indicators, targets, and activities in the UN agencies programmes;
• Good interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to communicate effectively with all stakeholders and to present ideas clearly and effectively;
• Good analytical skills;
• Demonstrated skills in organizing large inter-agency/inter organization meetings, preparing reports, keeping records, follow-up etc.;
• Familiarity with financial tracking mechanisms, pooled funding, and gender budgeting tools;
• Ability to provide timely and high-quality technical advice and support.

Education and certification:

• Master's degree (or equivalent) in one or more of the following disciplines: gender issues, social sciences, economics, or another related field.

Experience:    

• At least 5 years of  professional experience, focusing on gender equality and women’s empowerment issues in Tanzania ;
• Experience in research and report writing, evaluative gender assessments and analysis of accountability frameworks;
• Demonstrated experience in supporting inter-agency bodies and coordination mechanisms to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women required;
• Demonstrated experience supporting capacity-building related to gender mainstreaming required;
• Familiarity with gender-responsive financial tracking mechanisms, financial targeting, or implementation of pooled funding across the UN system for the advancement of gender equality and women’s empowerment;

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English and Swahili is required;
• Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset.