Experience in West Africa and in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) highlight the importance of preventing and responding to abuse, exploitation, and violence that are exacerbated during disease outbreak and response. The government and humanitarian community in DRC have taken important steps toward the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA). The IRC and other actors are seeking to strengthen these efforts, recognizing the need for the establishment of safe, confidential reporting mechanisms for people who experience abuse; accountability and zero tolerance for perpetrators of SEA; equal access to all humanitarian goods and services for women and children; and the establishment of safe, confidential, accountable support services when they experience sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse.
As a Safeguarding Advisor at the IRC you will support the PSEA Task Force and humanitarian response leadership in North Kivu, DRC, to assess and strengthen community-based reporting and response mechanisms; and to ensure wide understanding of PSEA and reporting mechanisms within communities, and across humanitarian and response personnel engaged in the ongoing Ebola response.
Main Responsibilities:
- Develop context-appropriate tools for community assessments regarding safeguarding capacity, and existing reporting mechanisms
- With the PSEA Taskforce members, undertake community assessments regarding safeguarding capacity, and existing reporting mechanisms
- Lead process with PSEA Taskforce to establish and roll-out basic standards for organizational actions to prevent and respond to safeguarding violations
- Working with the IRC protection teams and broader PSEA Taskforce, develop materials to build capacity of Ebola responders to prevent and respond to safeguarding violations; this includes awareness raising about the importance of safeguarding and ways beneficiaries can access reporting mechanisms and support
- With the PSEA Taskforce members, routinely monitor community engagement, understanding, and concerns regarding existing reporting mechanisms, with adjustments as necessary
- Produce reports and analysis of progress and suitability of existing safeguarding measures in the Ebola response, for both internal and external audiences
- Support the IRC country team to continue rollout and understanding of IRC policies and prevention measures related to safeguarding, including uptake of recommendations put forward through the PSEA Taskforce
- Coordinate internally with the IRC Child Protection and Women’s Protection and Empowerment teams to ensure that inter-agency safeguarding efforts are informed and reinforced by specialized work with service providers; women, children and their communities
- Follow the IRC Code of Conduct and policies, particularly related to Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Child Safeguarding
Qualifications
- A minimum of three years of experience developing and training on guidance, standards, and materials relating to safeguarding.
- Demonstrated experience coordinating and leading effective joint work processes with UN agencies, local governments and communities.
- The ability to communicate challenging topics in a clear, focused, and respectful manner.
- Demonstrated ability to identify creative and appropriate solutions for the populations affected by crisis, considering factors including the context and an individual client’s developmental stage, gender and status.
- Previous experience and/or collaboration in protection fields, particularly Child Protection and/or GBV, is an advantage.
- French language skills are required.
- Willingness to work in an Ebola affected region is required.
Working Environment: Butembo, with frequent travel in Ebola response area.
More Information
- Job City Butembo