National Gender and Development Specialist

Job Posting Organization:
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Established in 1945, FAO's mission is to achieve security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 Members (194 countries and the European Union), FAO operates in over 130 countries worldwide, focusing on transforming agrifood systems to be more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. FAO Ghana is currently implementing projects aimed at strengthening climate resilience and improving the livelihoods of rural communities in the Upper East and Savannah regions, contributing to improved nutrition" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food and nutrition security and resilience of vulnerable households.

Job Overview:
The National Gender and Development Specialist will play a crucial role in supporting the implementation of gender-related activities within FAO's projects in Ghana. This position requires a strong focus on operational and technical support to ensure effective tracking and reporting of gender-related project activities. The incumbent will work closely with various stakeholders, including the FAO Representative, Project Manager, and International Gender Expert, to ensure that gender dimensions are integrated into all aspects of project implementation. The role involves assisting in training sessions, developing gender-sensitive materials, and supporting community activities that promote women's participation and leadership. The specialist will also be responsible for collecting and analyzing data related to gender, contributing to monitoring and evaluation efforts, and ensuring compliance with FAO standards and guidelines.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities of the National Gender and Development Specialist include assisting in the implementation of gender-related activities, supporting training and sensitization campaigns, integrating gender aspects into Farmer Field Schools and Village Savings and Loan Schemes, preparing and delivering gender-sensitive training sessions, contributing to the development of training materials, providing inputs to internal coordination meetings, organizing and documenting women-focused community activities, supporting the collection of sex- and age-disaggregated data, developing indicators for tracking gender-related outputs, preparing gender inputs for reports, liaising with communication specialists for visibility of women's participation, collecting success stories and case studies, traveling to project sites for M&E and training activities, and maintaining communication with the International Gender Expert and Project Manager.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a university degree in gender studies, rural development, sociology, social sciences, agriculture, or a related field. They should have at least four years of relevant experience in supporting gender or community-based rural development work. A working knowledge of English is essential, and candidates must be nationals of Ghana. Additionally, candidates should demonstrate a strong understanding of gender issues in agriculture and rural development, possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and have experience working with women's groups and civil society organizations.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes a university degree in gender studies, rural development, sociology, social sciences, agriculture, or a related field. This educational foundation is critical for understanding the complexities of gender issues in the context of rural development and agriculture.

Experience:
The position requires at least four years of relevant experience in supporting gender or community-based rural development work. Field experience in northern Ghana, particularly in the Upper East or Savannah regions, is considered a strong asset. Candidates should also have the ability to conduct fieldwork in rural settings and familiarity with FAO tools and methodologies on gender is advantageous.

Languages:
A working knowledge of English is mandatory for this position. Knowledge of local languages spoken in northern Ghana is considered an advantage, as it can facilitate better communication and engagement with local communities.

Additional Notes:
FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process, and applications received after the closing date will not be accepted. Candidates should ensure that their higher educational qualifications are obtained from institutions accredited or recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED). The appointment will be subject to certification of medical fitness, accreditation, residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.