Project: VOICE for Women and Girls

Eligibility criteria: Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada

Location: Remote (supporting Ethiopia Country Office & Partners)
Start Date: Exact timing will be negotiated with the successful candidate.
Duration: 3 or 6 months
Language Requirement: English (mandatory)
Reporting to: Country Program Officer (CPO) – Ethiopia

The Project

The VOICE for Women and Girls project is a seven-year initiative (2020 – 2027) aimed at strengthening the performance of developing country partner (DCP) organizations to advance gender equality and economic empowerment of 50,000 women and men from marginalized communities, in particular young women (target: 60% women and girls), in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and Malawi with a focus on action areas of the Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), namely:

·       Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls, and

·       The growth that Works for Everyone.

The Project responds to the needs identified by women and men of cooperatives and the entire members in the countries of operation and is designed to increase the capacities of individual producers and primary co-operatives to support more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient growth. Supporting institutions, including Parteners (EWNRA), Union and Coop supporting institutions to increase the capacity and prioritization of vulnerable groups.

Our Partner

Cooperative Development Foundation of Canada is working with Ethio Wetlands and Natural Resources Association (EWNRA), a leading local NGO in Ethiopia dedicated to sustainable natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and community development. EWNRA aims to be a vibrant and sustainable organization capable of providing quality leadership, technical expertise, and services to strengthen cooperatives and rural communities. The organization’s vision is to facilitate and coordinate initiatives that promote inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and economically resilient cooperatives in a competitive environment.

Assignment Purpose

• The E-Volunteer Gender Advisor will strengthen gender mainstreaming within VOICE project activities by enhancing the Gender Equality Strategy (GES), building capacity among partners, addressing gender biases, and supporting the development of gender-responsive tools all through remote engagement.

Objectives

·       Review and update the existing Ethiopia Gender Equality Strategy (GES) with support from the local partner and project staff to incorporate any relevant changes in the country context.

·       Support partner organizations in updating gender strategies and policies via remote consultation.

·       Document the e-volunteering experience to increase international volunteer recruitment for the project.

Deliverables

The E-Volunteer Gender Advisor is expected to:

·        Conduct a remote context-based survey (using online tools and partner input) to identify locally known gender biases and stereotypes and incorporate findings into training materials.

·        Design and deliver online gender sensitivity training sessions to raise awareness about unconscious biases and promote women’s leadership in cooperatives.

·        Provide remote advisory support to integrate gender content into other volunteers’ and partners’ training plans and materials.

·        Design two innovative online initiatives addressing gender equality, inclusion, and climate change resilience for 70 women-led cooperative members.

·        Facilitate a virtual 2-day workshop on gender inclusion, women’s rights, and GBA+ for cooperative members (targeting 100 women and 60 men) with support from local partner.

·        Provide virtual training and coaching sessions to cooperative members on the proposed initiatives, ensuring environmental sustainability and livelihood improvement, by working through a local partner.

·        Work remotely with EWNRA’s Gender Expert and the CPO to ensure gender is mainstreamed across all project activities.

·        Track and report on gender-related activities and outcomes through regular online check-ins, reports, and digital monitoring tools.

·        Document lessons learned and best practices in digital knowledge products (e.g., briefs, case studies, or toolkits) for integration into the project knowledge base.

• Provide ongoing remote technical support to EWNRA and cooperatives on gender-related tools, policies, and practices.

Qualifications

• Degree or experience in gender studies, gender strategy development, or related fields.
• Proven skills in virtual facilitation, online training, and remote advisory roles.
• Strong analytical and communication skills; ability to simplify complex concepts.
• Experience in cooperative development (asset).
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across cultures and time zones.
• Comfortable using digital collaboration tools (Zoom, Teams, Google Workspace, etc.).

Support package

This is a voluntary assignment. CDF Canada supports volunteers through the provision of a comprehensive package designed to cover a modest and healthy lifestyle, while allowing for effectiveness in the placement:

• Monthly allowance.
• Return-trip international and/or domestic airfare.
• Visa-related costs (if needed).
• International health insurance.
• Vaccination and health-related costs (if needed).
• Interpreter and/or translator (if needed and depending on the position and duration of the assignment).
• Pre-departure support and orientation.
• Support and orientation during the assignment.
• Debriefing upon completion of the assignment.

Engaging Canadians

CDF Canada provides technical and logistical support to young and experienced professionals through volunteer assignments to apply and acquire new skills and knowledge in international co-operative development. We ask each volunteer, regardless of the duration of their mandate, to share their experience during and/or at the end of their assignment either in the country of assignment or in Canada. The experience can be shared by providing stories of human interest and photographs that can be used for social media outreach; Participate in events/conferences or other public engagement activities to share their experience to motivate others.

Application Process

Please submit a cover letter and CV/resume, by applying directly on our recruitment webpage. You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Successful candidates will be required to obtain a police-check from their local police or RCMP detachment. All applicants are thanked for their interest in CDF Canada; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.