Gender Advisor

Job Title

Gender Advisor

Project

Volunteers for Healthy Animals and Healthy Communities (V4H2)

Country

Kenya

Partner Organization

Meru Dairy Co-operative Union

Placement Location

Volunteer will be based in various locations including: Greater Accra region, Salaga, Pong Tamale, Nyankpala and Tamale 

Duration

1-12 months

Start Date

November 2018

Pre-Departure Training Dates

Exact date TBD: A 3-day training will be provided in Ottawa; session available once a month

Eligibility Requirements

Open to Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada only

Language Requirements

Essential:
English

Desirable:

N/A

The volunteer will work with a local counterpart who will provide translation support when traveling and performing duties in the rural communities.

Academic Qualifications

Essential: University degree in international / rural development, gender studies, social sciences or related field

Desirable: Specialist training in gender equality in agricultural communities

Professional Background/Skills

Essential:

• Previous experience conducting gender analysis in a developing country context                                  
• Effective cross-cultural communication skills
• Commitment to the principles of volunteer cooperation and familiarity with participatory approaches to development, including the promotion of gender equality, good governance and environmental sustainability

Desirable:

• Experience in providing formal and informal training and commitment to adult learning principles
• Previous international work / volunteer experience in Kenya or other developing country

Placement Goal and Objectives (Preliminary)

Overall Goal:
To support Meru Dairy Co-operative Union to develop a Gender Equality Action Plan for the Volunteer for Healthy Animals and Communities project, by conducting a participatory gender equality self-assessment of the partner organization, staff and its communities.

Specific Objectives:

• Review of existing project documents including project implementation plan, gender and environment strategies, previous gender audit reports, internal gender equality policy, project performance measurement framework, log frame, off- season assessment report, midterm evaluation report among others
• Conduct field visits to project communities to interview and hold discussions with project stakeholders and beneficiaries
• Conduct interviews with project staff as part of the process of the gender audit and strategy development
• Participate in some on-going project activities to observe and note gender equality issues.
• Write a gender analysis report based on findings and strategy to address gender in the project
• Organize a report validation meeting to share community findings and fill in gaps to promote ownership of the strategy

All volunteers are expected to promote gender equality, environmental sustainability and good governance within their placement responsibilities.

Volunteer Terms and Conditions

VWB covers the majority of the costs of being an overseas volunteer, including:

• Travel and accommodation for the five-day pre-departure training course in Ottawa
• Return airfare to placement country and visa/permit costs
• The cost of required vaccinations, anti-malarial medication and overseas emergency travel health insurance
• A monthly living allowance (MLA) that will be paid into the volunteer’s bank account in Canada. The MLA is designed to cover simple housing, basic food requirements and other typical monthly living expenses.

Fundraising

VWB expects each volunteer to raise $1,500 prior to departure with a goal of $2,000 towards the overall project costs. In addition, VWB/VSF offers an award for the top volunteer fundraiser of the year.

How to Apply

If interested, please send your resume and a covering letter which clearly indicate the position you are applying for, and how your qualifications meet the requirements of this posting. For more information, or to submit a resume and cover letter, please contact: Allyson Fradella at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About Veterinarians Without Borders

For about ten years, Veterinarians Without Border/Vétérinaires sans Frontières (VWB/VSF-Canada) has been sending Canadian Veterinarians and Vet students to poor communities around the world to help increase the knowledge and skills of small-scale farmers to keep their cows, chickens, goats, pigs, guinea fowl and other livestock healthy, well-fed and housed securely.

About the Project: Volunteers for Healthy Animals and Healthy Communities (V4H2)

Volunteers for Healthy Animals and Healthy Communities (V4H2) project is a five-year program funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) through the Volunteer-Cooperation Program (VCP). For five years (from 2015 to 2020), Over 100 Canadian volunteers will work with local organizations and community partners in six developing countries to help create integrated animal health systems that will help to strengthen the livelihoods and household nutrition of livestock small-scale farmers.

This program operates in Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Lao PDR, and Vietnam. We work hand in hand with subsistence farmers (small-scale livestock producers) most of whom are women in developing capacity and increasing knowledge on promoting healthy relationship between animals, people and the environment. Majority of our partners are in remote and rural areas with very limited access to quality and affordable animal health services. Our volunteers work with our partners to identify and alleviate challenges around livestock farming as well as providing knowledge and education on zoonotic diseases that can be passed from animals to humans. Through this program, VWB strives to promote food security, gender equality and sustainable ecosystems as well as making meaningful contributions towards attaining Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries.

We will be looking to recruit professors of veterinary medicine, veterinarians, veterinary technicians, animal and human nutritionists, laboratory experts, rural development specialists, food safety specialists, horticulturalists, community health workers, gender specialists, animal & public health professionals and other technical experts to support the specific needs identified by our local partners.