Background

At HarvestPlus, we believe that hidden hunger should not be inevitable for the people most at risk. We break down silos between agriculture and nutrition to develop creative solutions to combat hidden hunger. Our food-based approach targets some of the most vulnerable populations around the world. HarvestPlus, and its CGIAR partners, breed crops with naturally higher levels of key micronutrients, using a process called biofortification, as well as other beneficial agricultural traits, such as climate resilience, higher yields, disease resistance, and pest tolerance. This approach complements other nutrition interventions, is evidence-based, cost-effective, and sustainable. We work across the entire value chain to develop and deliver nutrient-enriched seeds, grains, and foods to the people who need it most, via a large collection of innovative and traditional supply chain activities. HarvestPlus works across CGIAR as part of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). To learn more about HarvestPlus, visit our home page here.

With support from the Government of Canada, HarvestPlus will increase consumption of nutritious biofortified food by over 11 million vulnerable men, women, and children in food insecure regions across Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Uganda, and Zimbabwe over four years (2023-2026). The Expanding Nutrients in Food Systems project will also help to increase women’s income by empowering and building the capacity of women and women-led small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

The Gender Specialist, Asia will study the project’s gender commitments to advocate for their execution across project activities and to represent HarvestPlus’s gender responsiveness and overall progress to the donor in reports. The consultant will report to the HarvestPlus PM and coordinate with the project’s core team and participating Asia country managers (CMs). Consultant agencies and/or individual consultants are welcome to apply.

Activities

• Advise on gender-responsiveness activities at all levels of the intervention (institutional, community, and individual)
• Provide advice and direction to country programs (via PM, CMs, and MLA head) on activities to implement toward achieving gender requirements
• Contribute to a template for compiling regular updates on country field activities and progress towards deliverables
• Contribute to a development of gender equality strategy and donor reports

Specific Deliverables

• Determine work plan in consultation with HarvestPlus project manager (PM)
• Review grant gender commitments and country project implementation plans; provide guidance and suggested activities to achieve related gender-equity commitments for the advancement of gender equality and empowerment of women and girls
• Conduct a regional (virtual) training session with staff on gender equality, relaying means to achieve gender commitments
• Develop project theory of change and gender equality strategy with PM and country managers
• Review Government of Canada requirements for submission to demonstrate how the project is addressing gender equality and supporting women and girls on the continuum of empowerment
  • Describe how the approach to tackling and achieving gender equality will differ in each country of implementation, including the variations and level of programming in each country of implementation
  • Demonstrate in the annual report which and how interventions led to a change in social norms, attitudes, and behaviors
• Total workdays estimated: 5 – 10 days / year

Candidate Requirements

• Bachelors + 8 year of work experience or Masters + 5 years of work experience; degree in gender studies, sociology, anthropology, or other related disciplines
• Local resident of either Bangladesh or Pakistan
• Excellent understanding of gender dynamics in countries of focus
• Skilled in preparing reports
• Experience delivering virtual training
• Experience preparing a gender strategy to show how activities/projects address equality
• High proficiency in English – written and spoken
• Willingness and ability to work remotely
• No travel necessary; work and meetings to be conducted virtually
• Ability to work on-and-off for a few days per month, in a specific months of the year to meet project deadlines and deliverables

Instructions to Apply

To be considered for the consultancy, please submit a resume and cover letter to the IFPRI website. In the cover letter, please specify expected daily rate. In the event of any questions about the consultancy, please reach out to Katie Foley at [email protected].