HIV/AIDS, Gender Equality and Reproductive Health and Rights- Program Officer

DUTY STATION: PFO Kampala – Uganda with frequent travelling within the region
DURATION: Short term contract / One year (with a possibility of extension)

1. Background

The IGAD Regional HIV/AIDS Partnership Program (IRAPP) has been established by IGAD in the partnership with the World Bank and builds on the lessons learned and best practices associated with the successful Great Lakes Initiative on AIDS. IRAPP seeks to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS among cross-border and mobile populations (CBMPs) in IGAD’s Member States; Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somali, Sudan and Uganda. Towards this objective, it: 1) works in partnership with the UN High Commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) to scale up and expand HIV/AIDS interventions targeting refugees, internally displaced persons, returnees and surrounding host communities; 2) works with National HIV/AIDS Coordinating Body and Ministry of Health in identifying hot-spot areas as points of delivery of specific services and support to cross-border and mobile populations; 3) supports cross-border collaboration on the health-sector response to HIV/AIDS; and, 4) strengthens the capacity of IGAD and the member states to coordinate a regional gender equitable response to HIV/AIDS by ensuring increased collaboration among the countries and mobilizing resources for a sustainable regional program . IRAPP is closely linked with national level service delivery systems and is complementary to national HIV/AIDS programs. IRAPP has particular benefits for women who bear the brunt of hardships associated with population mobility and migration and who also bear a disproportionate part of the AIDS burden (e.g., more likely than men to be infected; more likely than men to be the ones caring for people infected with HIV/AIDS).

In tandem, the IGAD Secretariat’s Gender Affairs Programme is putting in place a comprehensive legal and institutional framework for gender equality mainstreaming with a view to addressing gender equality issues and complementing the efforts for Members States. The IGAD Regional Gender Policy Framework facilitates fostering of gender equality perspectives into the priority areas as an integral part of IGAD’s efforts to promote women’s rights and empowerment and ensure their equal and effective participation in; and benefits from all development activities in the sub-region. The overall objective of the Gender Affairs Programme is: to promote gender equality aspects into all of IGAD policies by integrating gender equality concerns in the IGAD Charter; to encourage capacity-building programmes between technical ministries, gender machineries in the Member States; to assure capacity-building and gender equality considerations are integrated into the IGAD Secretariat and its priority programmes; and, to ensure that gender equality perspectives are used in the policy formulation and planning processes in order to achieve maximum gains in the overall development of the region.

IRAPP is facilitated by IGAD and therefore utilizes its institutional set-up with IGAD’s Secretariat, Health and Social Development Section. The Program Facilitation Office (PFO), located in Uganda, serves as the technical arm of IRAPP. In order to ensure that gender equality considerations are integrated into IRAPP’s results framework, the PFO requires the expertise of a gender equality and reproductive health and rights specialist to complement the project team.

2. Context and Purpose of the Assignment

The IRAPP Program Facilitation Office requires the services of a senior, gender equality and reproductive health and rights specialist to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to coordinate/integrate gender equality and reproductive health and rights issues within HIV/AIDS and related gender equality initiatives. The duration of the assignment will be two years with a possibility of extension thereafter; and the duty station will be Kampala in Uganda.


Objectives of the Assignment

The gender equality and reproductive health and rights officer will follow and contribute to the development and achievement of IRAPP’s objectives and expected results with respect to the integration of gender equality, reproductive health and rights and HIV/AIDS. More specifically, the objectives of the assignment are to:

• Ensure that gender equality, reproductive health and rights and HIV/AIDS are central to the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the IRAPP;
• Promote and support the identification and development of gender equality, reproductive health and rights and HIV/AIDS specific programming as it relates to the IRAPP priorities;
• Coordinate the activities with relevant partners including NACs, UNHCR and delivery of services at the selected sites.

Scope of Work and Activities

Under the direct supervision of the IRAPP PFO Coordinator, the officer will;

• Provide technical advice and analysis to the PFO Coordinator on gender equality and integrated RH and HIV/AIDS issues and concerns in IGAD Region, including local government policies, strategies and action-plans for HIV/AIDS;
• Undertake a strategic mapping to analyze current barriers to gender equality in the prevention, care and support services for a gender equitable HIV/AIDS strategy and delivery mechanism in the Horn of Africa;
• Review documentation related to all IRAPP project sub-components for gender equality aspects and suggest appropriate revisions;
• Develop and coordinate a work-plan and strategy with a detailed methodology for integration of gender equality and reproductive health and rights with HIV/AIDS;
• Evaluate on progress achieved in integrating the gender equality and reproductive health and rightswith HIV/AIDS considerations into UNHCR and NACs’ response to HIV/AIDS, and advise on means to strengthen documentation, monitoring and reporting related to gender equality and RHR with HIV/AIDS;
• Identify best practices and new approaches in pursuing gender equality and reproductive health and rights with HIV/AIDS in the IGAD region to share with UNHCR, NACs and other stakeholders including local and regional women’s groups;
• Prepare recommendations for systematic mainstreaming of gender equality in IRAPP program design/implementation monitoring/performance assessment, leading to an updated Gender equality Performance Plan;
• Coordinate with IGAD member states to ensure integration of gender equality and reproductive health and rights with HIV/AIDS results as achieved;
• Analyze the resource implications for implementing recommendations, and recommend budget/resource requirements to ensure adequate integration of gender equality into new projects/programs for newly defined gender equality action-plan 2009-2012;
• Liaise with the other African-based gender equality specialists in partner agencies, and other relevant agencies such as UNIFEM, African Union, UNECA as required;
• Prepare and provide capacity building , such as training and mentorship to pertinent and relevant IRAPP staffs and staff of other cooperating agencies in a coordinated and timely manner; and,
• Perform any other official duties as assigned by the PFO Coordinator.

3. Deliverables

• A Strategic mapping of current barriers that need to be addressed to integrate/enhance gender equality and reproductive health and rights with HIV/AIDS results in enhanced service delivery in prevention, care and treatment services to women in IRAPP and partner programming;
• Integration of Gender Equality and Reproductive Health and Rights with HIV/AIDS Performance Plan and related Budget for the period 2011-2012 that provides a clear and detailed strategy and action-plan that indicates priorities, expected results, indicators and resource implications; reflects donor coordination and harmonization; and supports the governments in achieving their poverty-reduction targets.
• Perform a deliver activities outlined to gender equality and HIV/AIDS in IRAPP 2011 – 2013 PoA.

4. Qualifications

Essential

• A Masters degree from a recognized/reputable institution in any social science field, including courses on women’s or gender studies, with particular emphasis on public health and HIV/AIDS;
• Five years’ experience in integration of gender equality and reproductive health and rights with HIV/AIDS analysis, gender equality programming, and results based management;
• Experience working on gender equality issues in Africa, specifically the Horn of Africa region;
• Experience in identifying obstacles and success factors to integrating gender analysis and gender equality results during the design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation stages of health sector programs;
• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural team;
• Fluency in English or French languages is required (a working knowledge of the other language will be an added advantage);
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; and,
• Strong inter-personal and inter-cultural communication skills, and networking capabilities.

Assets

• Experience in advising governments and donors on how to integrate gender equality issues in the health sector.


Submission of applications:

Applications together with attached CVs should be electronically submitted to the Project Facilitation Office / Kampala – Uganda, at the following addresses: osman.bilail@igad.int; irapp@igad.int NOT later than 25th of April, 2011