NORCAP is the Norwegian Refugee Council’s expert deployment mechanism. We strengthen international and local partners’ capacity to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from crisis. We do this through the work of our colleagues on assignment with UN agencies, humanitarian organizations, development actors and national stakeholders to save lives, build resilient communities, ensure peaceful transitions from conflict, and promote sustainable governance.

The Asia and Asia Pacific region is the most disaster-prone region in the world. Disasters, be they natural or man-made, can have harmful gender-related consequences. Through its standby partnership with UNFPA, NORCAP aims to mitigate harmful gender-related consequences in the wake of a disaster by supporting the GBV Area of Responsibility’s (GBV AoR) capacity building efforts. The REGA project, consisting of the Regional Gender-based Violence in Emergencies Advisor (GBViE) and Team Lead, is part of a strategic partnership between UNFPA, the GBV AoR and NORCAP.

Therefore, we are looking for a REGA who will develop the capacity of regional-, national-, and local actors strengthening GBV prevention and response, working through remote and in-country supporting GBV sub-clusters/cluster-like GBV working groups.

The selected candidate will be hosted by the UNFPA Regional Office in Bangkok. The GBV AoR has a global coordination team, regional technical teams cross five regions, and GBV coordinators across 32 cluster countries. This is an exciting position that combines leadership, strategic positioning as well as direct technical support to field colleagues on GBV coordination including prevention, response, and risk mitigation.

Moreover, you will ensure the sustainability of interventions by supporting inter-agency GBV prevention and response efforts and GBV sub-cluster coordination at national and sub-national levels. The REGA works with government disaster preparedness actors and disaster management agencies at regional and national/country-level. The REGA’s role is to support coordination of ministries and other relevant actors that are responsible for disaster preparedness, service delivery and coordination. In this role the REGA promotes institutional follow-up of mission recommendations and facilitates training-of-trainer workshops to national staff and local actors.

Working at a strategic level by supporting GBV sub-clusters and advising Humanitarian Country Teams (HCT), expected outcomes of the REGA’s work is strengthened GBV sub-cluster capacity to deliver lifesaving coordinated response with a survivor-centred approach, in line with cluster accountabilities. To accomplish these outcomes, the REGA Team Lead will engage in:

Advocacy and Resource Mobilisation 

• Advocate with regional decision makers the best practices to reduce risks of GBV, increase access to services available for survivors, incorporate GBV prevention and response programming into all technical sectors, and coordinate funding and programming needs effectively.
• Promote the integration of GBV prevention and response in humanitarian planning processes by all regional technical sectors, including in contingency planning processes as well as regional humanitarian platforms such as Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction—APMCDRR—and in regional IASC fora.

Cluster Coordination Participation 

• Support country level coordination mechanisms to engage local organisations and increase participation and decision making of local women organisations in the coordination structure.
• Promote ways of engaging diverse representation within the GBV coordination mechanisms such as youth organisations, women-led disability organisations, SOGIE related and others context specific organisations.

Capacity Building 

• Conduct and support capacity building activities, that targets specifically GBV coordinators and GBV sub-cluster/working group member organisations with a focus on local and civil society organisation.
• In doing so, be the first point of contact for GBV coordinators and membership, to ensure take up of global standards and guidelines and create spaces for learning and sharing of expertise across the region, to help resolve operational bottlenecks and implement system-wide improvements as needed.
• Collaborate with GBV coordinators, UNFPA and Humanitarian Country Teams, and IASC principles on regional level (in consultation with UNFPA) to ensure adequate integration of GBV into HCT Protection Strategies (drafting, revision, and implementation) and advise on strategic decision making so that Humanitarian Coordinators deliver on the new HC TORs that include leadership on GBV.

Contingency Planning/Preparedness 

• Actively engage in disaster risk reduction discussions to ensure inclusion of GBV prevention and response actions as life-saving activities.
• Support and/or lead capacity mapping exercises to identify available resources and expertise as well as critical capacity gaps that need to be addressed in advance of the onset of an emergency.

Knowledge Management 

• Actively share regional good practices with country level actors and ensure that global guidance reflects field challenges and good practice, and the take up of global resources at country level.
• Track integration of GBV-specific actions in relevant regional guidance related to contingency planning and preparedness.

Region Support 

• Effectively represent the GBV AoR with regional senior members, regional cluster lead agencies, regional donors, and key decision makers, to ensure awareness and prioritization of GBV prevention and response as a life-saving issue.

For other duties and information not mentioned in this ad, we recommend that you read the full ToR before applying. 

Qualifications and experience 

• A higher-level University degree in Social Sciences or related disciplines
• A minimum of 7 years of relevant experience preferably from leading or being part of GBV coordination at country level, in at least two or three contexts
• Line management experience
• Proven skills and experience in capacity building and facilitation and a broad understanding of capacity building modalities and adult learning
• Experience in effectively managing and leading inter-agency processes, inclusive consultations and demonstrated coordination leadership

Core Competencies 

• Demonstrates knowledge of the GBV Guiding Principles, the application of a gender “lens” to humanitarian programming, the survivor-centred approach, and gender-equality.
• Clear understanding of how power and violence impact the lives of women and girls.

Professional Competencies 

• Experience in locating and sharing key GBV resources and contributing to policy documents and leading on strategic planning
• Proven advocacy experience within GBV programming and risk mitigation focusing on a survivor and human rights-based approach
• An understanding of the basics of ethical safe assessments, data collection and information-sharing
• Experience in analysing contexts, trends and vulnerabilities related to GBV
• Understands and can implement multi-sectoral prevention and response programs within the humanitarian architecture.
• Demonstrated skills in coordination of GBV in multiple emergency settings, including roles of coordinators, government, key actors.
• Excellent understanding of IASC humanitarian architecture and global GBV initiatives.
• Understands and uses participatory approaches to engaging with and mobilizing communities.
• Provides strategic planning and funding appeals for GBV prevention and response.
• Facilitates a collaborative culture to promote coordination.
• Fluency in English Language – essential.
• Knowledge of a local language, or second UN working language – desired.

Behavioural Competencies 

• Able to adapt and cope to high-stressful and pressure situations.
• Fosters effective communication
• Excellent interpersonal skills – including, but not limited to, fostering effective communication, and maintaining a positive and professional attitude.
• Sensitivity to political and cultural contexts and dynamics and ability to communicate strategically with humanitarian leadership.
• Ability to share successes, and take a less visible leadership role, to promote the ownership and leadership of GBV actors in the region, including governments.

How to apply

Based on what you have read in the above, would you like to help strengthen the quality, relevance, and impact of humanitarian response? If so, you are encouraged to apply!

Application procedures and CV registration:

• Kindly submit your CV and application in English and include your full name as written in your passport
• Please enter your work experience in the work history fields provided by the application portal (you can copy-paste from your CV to make this easier for you)
• NRC reserves the right to conduct a full background check on shortlisted candidates
• Approved Health Certificate will be required prior to contract commencement and deployment
• All applicants will get feedback within four weeks after the closing of this advertisement.

At NORCAP, we work to better protect and empower people affected by crises and climate change. With expertise in the humanitarian, development and peacebuilding sectors, we collaborate with local, national and international partners on finding solutions to meet the needs of people at risk. NORCAP is part of the Norwegian Refugee Council.