The Organization

The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. The Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation (https://alliancebioversityciat.org/ )

With novel partnerships, the Alliance generates evidence and mainstreams innovations to transform food systems and landscapes so that they sustain the planet, drive prosperity, and nourish people.

The Alliance is a member of the CGIAR Consortium (www.cgiar.org) a global research partnership for a food-secure future.

About the Project

Beans for Women Empowerment (Beans4Women) is a six-year project funded by the Global Affairs Canada and implemented by the Pan Africa Bean Research Alliance, PABRA under the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. Beans4Women aims at strengthening the gender equality, agency in decision-making, and resource rights of women and girls active in the bean sector in three conflict-prone provinces of Eastern DRC. The project focuses on three areas that most affect the degree of women’s empowerment in the bean sector, namely the business environment around climate-smart agriculture, the participation of women in bean sector leadership and decision-making, and the rights of women to productive resources like land and nutritious food. Eastern DRC. The project will build on partnerships with INERA and development partners to benefit 2 million people, 60% of whom will be women and girls, in poor rural communities in Eastern DRC and will indirectly benefit 10 million people over the longer term.

The Position Summary

Women in the common beans sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) face challenges in accessing resources, including land, credit, and inputs, which limits their economic empowerment. They also face gender-based violence and discrimination, lack access to information and education, and have limited participation in decision-making processes within the home and at all levels (community, provincial, national). Additionally, women in DRC face inadequate legal protection of land and property rights and limited gender-sensitive extension services. Limited access to markets and value chain opportunities further hampers their economic empowerment. Addressing these gaps requires multi-dimensional approaches, including addressing discriminatory norms, improving resource access and control, providing gender-responsive education, promoting women’s participation and leadership in decision-making, strengthening policies and institutions, and enhancing market opportunities. This can contribute to empowering women in the common beans sector in DRC and promoting gender equality and sustainable livelihoods and development.

Position Duties and responsibilities

• Provide inputs into problem identification, gender analysis, and log frame development, i.e., focusing on women’s empowerment as necessary for the project.
• Contribute to the project’s detailed implementation plans (DIP), at the start-up and annual reviews, to ensure gender-responsive project planning and delivery.
• Develop/adopt community or household conversation tools like GALS to promote women’s empowerment through bean value chains and beyond.
• Participate in co-designing intrahousehold surveys and qualitative data collection designs to ensure that gender dynamics are appropriately included and that all data are sex-disaggregated, analyze results, and write reports in the field office.
• Contribute to paper and report writing.
• Work with project’s agro-enterprise facilitator to support women’s participation in and economic empowerment through income-generation and marketing activities of common beans.
• Support Multi-Stakeholder Platforms to implement strategies to address social barriers that affect vulnerable households.
• In close collaboration with project partners, provide thought leadership on working with traditional leaders and influential community members to enhance their awareness, knowledge, and support of gender equity and women’s empowerment.
• In close collaboration with project partners, provide thought-leadership on supporting customary institutions able to influence, practice and monitor gender equitable norms, including addressing harmful traditional practices and gender-based violence.
•  In close collaboration with project partners, identify role models, especially men champions, and engage them to raise awareness about the benefits of changed social norms.
• Participate in the development and facilitation of training for partners and staff on gender, including towards transforming staff capacities.
• Ensure that activities explicitly adopt approaches used to address unequal gender relations.
• Support the documentation and use of project gender learning in evidence-based policy influence.

Requirements

• Masters in gender studies, sociology, anthropology, development studies, or related field.
• Five to Seven years of work experience in gender analysis, training, and mainstreaming.
• Experience in community mobilization
• Fluency in French and English (oral and written) is mandatory.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies.
• Strong analytical, training/facilitation and writing skills.
• Sensitivity to different aspects of diversity (cultural, religious), firm belief in teamwork
• Qualitative data analysis skills.
• Has knowledge on targeted provinces in the Democratic Republic of Congo
• Demonstrated experience working with gender transformative approaches.
• Demonstrated experience working on gender-based violence.

Terms of employment

This is a nationally recruited position based in Bukavu, Eastern DRC. The initial contract will be for two (2) years, subject to a probation period of six (6) months and is renewable depending on performance and availability of resources. This position is currently graded at level BG07 (on a scale of 14 levels, BG 014 being the highest level).

The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT offers a multicultural, collegial research environment with competitive salary and excellent benefits. We believe that the diversity of our staff contributes to excellence. The Alliance is an equal-opportunity employer and strives for staff diversity in gender and nationality.

Applications

Applicants are invited to visit  Careers | Alliance Bioversity International – CIAT (alliancebioversityciat.org) to get full details of the position and to submit their applications. Applications MUST include reference number Ref: 103158 – Senior Research Associate -Gender Facilitator as the position applied for. Application and CV should be saved as one document using the candidate’s last name, first name for ease of sorting.

Note: The Alliance does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training). The Alliance also does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.

Applications closing date: 28^th July 2023

Please note that email applications will not be considered.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

We invite you to learn more about us at:

http://alliancebioversityciat.org