The Regional Office for Africa (RAF) is responsible for leading FAO’s response to regional priorities for food security, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO’s priority activities in the region. It ensures a multidisciplinary approach to programmes, identifies priority areas of action for the Organization in the region and, in collaboration with Divisions/Offices/Centres at headquarters, develops, promotes and oversees FAO’s strategic response to regional priorities. RAF also advises on the incorporation of regional priorities into the Organization’s Programme of Work and Budget and implements approved programmes and projects in the region, monitors the level of programme implementation and draws attention to problems and deficiencies. RAF develops and maintains relations with region-wide institutions including the Regional Economic Integration Organizations (REIOs).

The Regional Office supports regional policy dialogue on food security, agriculture and rural development issues, facilitates the emergence of regional partnerships, and supports capacity development and resource mobilization for food security, agriculture and rural development in the region.

The Regional Office puts gender equality and women’s empowerment at the centre of its programme and is committed to achieving equality between women and men in sustainable agriculture and rural development for the elimination of hunger and poverty in alignment with regional priorities and the FAO Corporate Policy on Gender Equality 2020-2030. The gender team in RAF works collaboratively with all regional programmes and provides technical assistance to Subregional and Country Offices in the region. It coordinates a network of over 56 gender focal points and alternates and supports the regional implementation and monitoring of the FAO Gender Equality Policy. It also develops and leads specific programmes in alignment with key regional priority themes.

The post is located in the Regional Office for Africa, RAF, in Accra, Ghana.

Reporting Lines

The Senior Gender Officer reports to the Regional Programme Leader, RAF.

Technical Focus

Gender equality and rural women’s economic empowerment.

Key Results

Leadership and conceptual thinking for the development and implementation of comprehensive technical, statistical and/or analytical frameworks to support the programme of work and related products, projects and services in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework and in alignment with the Organization’s Gender Policy.

Key Functions

• Plans, manages or leads highly specialized or multidisciplinary teams; leads, coordinates and/or participates in Organization-wide committees, project teams and working groups and/or provides technical leadership/secretariat services on technical networks and/or international technical policy and standard setting bodies.
• Analyses global and country specific requirements, as well as agricultural, economic, social and environmental factors to provide critical input into the FAO Strategic Framework, Programme of Work, as well as Detailed Work Plans and the supporting budgets and/or resourcing strategies.
• Implements and monitors work programmes, involving the conception and development of comprehensive statistical and/or analytical frameworks, including early warning, medium- and long-term plans and strategies, leading edge tools, methods, systems and databases, critical indicators and/or policy models for gender programming.
• Oversees and reviews from a gender perspective data collection, validation, analysis and reporting activities to support the development of technical standards, international instruments, innovation, FAO flagship publications/yearbooks and/or on-going programme development, as well as technical and/or policy advisory services.
• Provides technical and policy advice to Member Nations and technical support to Decentralized Offices in the region in the development and implementation of their programmes of work.
• Plans, organizes and participates in capacity development activities involving the provision of advice, technical assistance projects, training workshops, seminars and meetings, as well as oversees the development of related materials, on-line tools and information kits.
• Represents the Organization at international/inter-governmental meetings and conferences, advocates strategic partnerships, best practices and increased policy dialogue; develops and negotiates effective working relationships/consensus and agreements with international and national partners.
• Leads and/or participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Corporate Strategy.

Specific Functions

• Undertakes policy analysis and analytical work on effective ways to address gender inequalities and promote women’s empowerment in agriculture, food security and nutrition and rural development.
• Provides technical support to FAO’s Member Nations in the formulation and implementation of gender-responsive agriculture, rural development, food security and nutrition, climate change and resilience policies and programmes; and in the implementation of their gender commitments enshrined in regional agreements, global frameworks and international conventions.
• Ensures that all policies and programmes supporting FAO’s gender equality policy are implemented in FAO’s field programme of the region/subregions, promoting synergies and coherence with other agriculture and food development policies.
• Ensures that gender equality and women’s empowerment issues are addressed, monitored and reported on for all narrative and field activities, and technically supports Subregional and Country Offices to tangibly incorporate gender equality into field activities, across humanitarian, resilience and development contexts.
• Acts as regional gender focal point, develops and monitors a regional strategy for FAO’s support to the incorporation of gender, equality and rural employment concerns into agriculture and rural development policies, programmes and projects in Sub-Saharan Africa Member Nations, taking into account regional priorities and global policy positions and tools to reduce hunger and poverty.
• Provides guidance, technical support and capacity building of FAO staff, Member Nations and regional economic bodies on issues related to gender equality and women’s empowerment.
• Coordinates and strengthens the functioning of the regional network of Gender Focal Points (GFP) comprising Subregional and Country Offices and helps to consolidate a network of gender experts in the region capable of assisting Members to integrate gender, equity and rural employment in their policies, programmes and projects.
• Coordinates gender work and partnership development in key priority areas, including trade, markets, value chain and agri-entrepreneurship development; digitalization; sustainable small-scale fisheries and livestock development; gender-responsive resilience and disaster risk reduction; and climate action.
• Liaises and maintains close collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC), New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Planning and Coordinating Agency, Regional Economic Commissions (RECs) and other stakeholders in the Africa region (e.g. United Nations, African Development Bank Group (AfDB), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), producer and civil society organizations) to strengthen the participation and influence of rural women and food-insecure groups in policy processes to attain sustainable agriculture and food systems and to ensure complementarity in the provision of technical assistance in these areas.
• Performs any other related duties, as required.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in gender studies, political science, economics, international development or relevant social sciences.
• Ten years of relevant experience in socio-economic analysis, policy analysis and support and capacity development to integrate gender dimensions into policy and programme formulation and implementation in the context of agriculture, rural development, food security and nutrition and poverty reduction.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Competencies

• Results Focus
• Leading, Engaging and Empowering
• Communication
• Partnering and Advocating
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
• Strategic Thinking

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is essential.
• Relevant experience in analysing and integrating gender dimensions into policy and programme formulation, implementation and assessment, particularly in the areas of agriculture, rural development, food security and nutrition and poverty reduction.
• Strong analytical skills and relevant professional experience related to policy support and gender policy analysis, including knowledge of policy-related capacity development approaches and policy support tools.
• Experience in conducting socio-economic research, analysing sex-disaggregated data and statistics and applying findings to strengthen agricultural and rural development, food security and nutrition, and poverty reduction policies and programmes.
• Demonstrated ability to mobilize resources.

Job Posting

01/Jul/2024