Department: Programs, Africa
Center Background: The Center for Reproductive Rights (the Center) is a global human rights organization working to ensure that reproductive rights are protected in law as fundamental human rights around the world. With offices in New York City, New York; Nairobi, Kenya; Bogota, Colombia; Geneva, Switzerland; and Washington, D.C., the Center is a non-profit, non-partisan organization changing law and policy throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States. Our 230+ diverse professionals are committed to advancing the Center’s human rights mission through game-changing litigation, legal policy, and advocacy work. This has powered the Center’s exceptional growth to an operating budget of over $50 million and won the respect of law firms in countries around the world, with an additional $29 million annually of donated legal services, representing the work of countless lawyers from more than 46 countries.
The Center’s Strategic Plan sets a high mark for impact: By 2030, half of the world’s population will be living under stronger protections for reproductive rights than they are today. The Center has a track record of success to back up this ambitious goal. Since our founding in 1992, the Center has transformed how reproductive rights are understood and applied by courts, governments, and human rights bodies worldwide on issues including maternal health, abortion, assisted reproduction, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). We have won groundbreaking cases before national courts, U.N. Committees, and regional human rights bodies. Additionally, the Center has led the development of historic, proactive legislation advancing robust protections for reproductive rights and has built the legal capacity of women’s rights advocates in more than 65 countries and counting.
The Role: The Senior Gender Equality Adviser for Africa will work under the supervision of the Associate Director of Advocacy and External Relations for Africa in close collaboration with other program staff to support and build the work of the program.
CRR’s approach to advocacy prioritizes placing the voices and experiences of women and adolescents, particularly those facing intersectional discrimination, at the center of all advocacy strategies. This requires that these women and adolescents are provided the training, resources, and opportunity to self-advocate and actively participate in advocacy interventions at the national, regional, and global levels. As such, this position is expected to leverage Universal and Regional Human Rights standards and mechanisms to promote SRHR and Gender Equality.
This position will work closely with other departments across the organization, including Global Advocacy, External Relations, Communications, Program Management Department, Pro Bono, regional program teams and others. The Senior Gender Equality Adviser will be key in strengthening and maintaining the AFRICA Program’s attention to gender perspectives, providing the necessary rationales and advice on approaches to support gender mainstreaming in all the regional program work. This requires a good understanding of the work of the Africa program team and all the partners.
The position will be based in the Center’s Nairobi office and will involve travel across the region.
Primary Responsibilities:
The primary job responsibilities for the Senior Gender Equality Adviser for AFRICA include, but are not limited to:
Strategy Development and Implementation
Design and implement a comprehensive strategy for gender-responsive programming and implementation for the AFRICA region and ensure incorporation of gender considerations in all projects and programs.
Support embedding an intersectional gender lens in all project designs and implementation by the Africa program team and its partners.
Identify and map key stakeholders to advance the Center’s strategic work, including within Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Education, Justice, Health, Women’s rights groups, and feminist organizations.
Maintain contacts and institutionalize them.
Support the Center’s movement-building initiatives in each country of focus and regionally, including through implementing the Nakuru Strategy and convening ARRI.
Support the implementation of national court decisions and the recommendations from human rights mechanisms in the Center’s focus countries in Africa by centering a gender intersectional lens in all processes and initiatives towards implementation.
Technical Support and Training
Provide technical support and training to Center staff and implementing partner organizations on gender and SRHR.
Design, plan, and conduct technical briefings with African human rights mechanisms, including the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
Provide technical assistance to policymakers and lawmakers on gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Policy Analysis, Knowledge creation, and Communication
Undertake research to document and catalyze action towards addressing the intersection of gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights violations in the Center’s countries of focus.
Review the Africa program documents and information products to ensure they integrate gender and properly reflect the needs, priorities, and circumstances of women, men, girls, and boys.
Work with Africa Program staff and Partner organizations to develop communication messages and materials to advance gender equality and gender-responsive program implementation.
Prepare internal and external updates and other written analyses and reports as needed.
Development of necessary methods and tools, such as guidelines and checklists, to ensure gender mainstreaming.
Qualifications:
- A degree in gender studies, international relations, social sciences, law, or similar social sciences is a plus.
- At least 8 years of significant working experience in gender and Human Rights, advocacy, external relations, or similar fields.
- Experience working on women’s rights and gender equality is required, as experience in sexual and reproductive rights and health would be greatly valued.
- Working experience in the African region is required.
- Working experience with international organizations, State officials, and/or international non-governmental organizations.
- Experience analyzing legal and policy documents from a gender perspective.
- Experience in conducting high-level training and technical assistance on gender and SRHR.
- Experience in designing and conducting policy briefs and technical briefs is highly appreciated.
- Experience in building the capacity of grassroots organizations on gender and SRHR is an added advantage.
- Strong commitment to the Center’s mission, purpose, and values.
- Detail-oriented, with strong organizational and coordination skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively and on complex projects.
- Don’t meet every single requirement? At the Center, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you are excited about this role but your past experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
Behavioral Competencies:
Develop & Manage Self & Others: Takes ownership of individual growth in order to achieve full potential; recognizes the value of team members and helps them develop their full potential while also achieving set objectives.
Collaboration (People First): Works intra- and/or cross-departmentally to support the goals and overarching strategies of the Center and its strategic plan.
Feedback (Improve & Innovate): Actively engaged in feedback cycles: Gives and requests feedback to and from peers, supervisors, and direct reports about work products, behaviors, values, style, and approaches with a view on how this impacts self, other individuals, and teams.
Accountability: Follow through on each commitment made to individual contributors, teams, and partners and proactively inform others of any delays that occur along the way.
Work Competencies:
Project Management: Works effectively on project teams in order to achieve long-term project goal and objectives.
Problem Solve & Make Decisions: Identifies, analyzes and resolves existing and anticipated problems, using common sense to make timely decisions in order to reach the best solutions for the organization.
Internal/External Focus: Anticipates internal and external partner’s needs; assesses requirements and identifies new solutions that align with overall goals and objectives of the organization.
Communication & Influence: Communicates with and influences others to gain agreement and commitment to the strategic goals of the organization.
Compensation: The annual salary for this position is KES 6,000,000.
Length of Position: This is a 2-year fixed-term role with the possibility of extension.
Benefits:
- Health: The Center pays up to 95%* of the premium for a comprehensive health insurance plan with no in-network deductible and best-in-class reproductive healthcare coverage, including infertility. The Center also offers Dental and Vision coverage. (* % may differ in various countries)
- Flexibility: The Center currently operates in a hybrid model, allowing staff to work 3 days in the office and work 2 days from home
- Well-being: The Center offers resources to help prevent and recover from burnout through different programs that enable mental, physical and community well-being. The Center offers generous leave including paid parental leave, personal days, vacation, and sick leave. We are also closed the last week of December to allow staff to spend time with their loved ones.
- Growth: You will be working with and learning from some of the top legal and operational minds, all passionate about the mission of advancing reproductive rights around the world. You will also be eligible for a stipend to use towards professional growth.
- Global: You will get a front-row seat to update on the fight for reproductive rights in the global space. You will also have access to Employee Resource Groups to connect to colleagues that share similar interests/backgrounds/views.
- Investment: After the first year of employment, the Center will contribute 7.5%* of your annual salary to a 401(k) (* only applicable in US and Kenya)
- Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
The Center is committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage people from all communities to apply. If you are excited about this role and unsure about whether your past experience aligns with the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be the right candidate for this or other roles.
Our hiring processes and our work culture offer support and flexibility for staff with a variety of needs. Should you face an accessibility barrier in the application and interview process please let us know by contacting [email protected]. We will work with you to provide the accommodation that works best for you.
To learn more about the Center’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), please visit Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | Center for Reproductive Rights
Please complete your application at www.reproductiverights.org to apply. A cover letter and resume must be included in your application. Please include these application materials as attachments. Please note that all genuine Center openings must be applied through the Center website. The Center does not charge a fee at any stage in the recruitment process (application, interviews, or selection). Nor does it request any medical examinations or bank account information as part of this process. If someone contacts, you on behalf of the Center requesting payment for your application please notify [email protected] before taking any further action. Our hiring processes and our work culture offer support and flexibility for staff with a variety of needs. Should you face an accessibility barrier in the application and interview process please let us know by contacting [email protected]. We will work with you to provide the accommodation that works best for you.
