Gender Adviser

Gender Adviser

£76,830 p/a + benefits

London SW1, Pall Mall

Closing date: Wednesday 13 September 2024 at 17:00 BST

The objective of the Gender Section is to support member states and the Secretariat to advance international, regional and national commitments and protocols on gender equality, including the implementation of the Commonwealth’s Strategic and Delivery Plan.

The Adviser will have responsibility for proposing, planning, implementing and reporting on the Gender Section’s work on delivering the Secretariat’s Strategic Plan with respect to gender equality and women’s empowerment. This includes the development of projects and activities to support the strengthening of gender equality in national economic and social development frameworks; and the role of women, men, boys and girls in economic and social development. The post-holder will also contribute as required to the development of the Secretariat’s internal tools and processes to embed gender, including social and development aspects, in all relevant programmes and projects to promote gender equality in the Commonwealth’s four priority areas on gender equality.

The post-holder will be responsible for (but are not limited to):

• Providing policy advice on gender aspects in the thematic areas of social, economic and sustainable development to the Secretariat and to member countries;
• Within a results-based management framework, designing capacity-building programmes and projects, mobilising resources and executing efforts to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment;
• Planning and delivering advocacy strategies and support to National Women’s Machineries and ministries to raise awareness of gender concerns in the above thematic areas;
• Identifying and advancing opportunities to develop external partnerships through which the Commonwealth’s values and principles, and the Secretariat’s work on gender equality can be advanced.
• Liaising and coordinating with relevant divisions within the Secretariat to support cross-disciplinary collaboration, a more consistent and coherent gender focus, and enhanced delivery of gender outcomes within policies, programmes and operations delivered internally and externally;
• Monitoring developments across the Commonwealth in the above thematic areas, develop consolidated reports, and provide analysis on trends and implications for the Commonwealth and the Secretariat;   
• Drafting and providing other inputs as required to reports, briefs, papers, speeches, minutes and other documentation to guide strategic planning and implementation of Commonwealth gender commitments and targets;

• Providing technical assistance to Secretariat colleagues and to member governments on gender aspects of sustainable social and economic development;
• Providing policy advice, background documentation, and practical support as required in the convening and delivery of Commonwealth meetings convened by the Secretariat to advance gender equality and priorities in the Strategic Plan;

To be considered for this opportunity, you will need a graduate or post-graduate qualification in economics, development studies, gender/women’s studies, the humanities, social sciences or a related field. You will need at least eight years proven track record in the area of gender and socio-economic policy formulation and implementation, programme design and delivery reflecting substantive knowledge in one or more of the following areas: women’s economic empowerment, governance and leadership, elimination of gender-based violence, sustainable development, and/or gender mainstreaming.

A sound knowledge of relevant gender systems, tools, strategies, emerging international trends on gender, and multi-disciplinary team approaches, a sound understanding of gender equality as an enabler and accelerator for sustainable development, a proven commitment to gender equality, women’s advancement, and promoting transformative change pertaining to women’s rights; and demonstrable team spirit and proven capacity to network and build effective partnerships and work collaboratively on programmes/projects activities to meet set goals and targets are also required.

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 member governments and provides guidance on policy making, technical assistance and advisory services to Commonwealth member countries. We support governments to help achieve sustainable, inclusive, and equitable development.

If you feel that you are suitable for this role, please apply by submitting a CV and Covering Letter. Covering Letters should be structured to address the key criteria required in the Job Description, giving clear examples.

To join us, you must be a citizen of a Commonwealth country.