Overseas Volunteer Opportunity: Ghana

Women Economic Empowerment Advisor

Contribute. Discover. Grow. Volunteer with CDF Canada.

Eligibility criteria:  Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada

Location:   This position is in the field (Bimbila)

Start Date:   As soon as possible.

Duration:   3 months

Language Requirement:   English (Mandatory)

Reporting to:   Country Program Officer

The Project – VOICE for Women and Girls

The VOICE for Women and Girls project is a seven-year initiative (2020 – 2028) 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

·        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 apex co-operatives, co-operative colleges, and government/regulatory institutions will also be engaged to increase the capacity and prioritization of vulnerable groups.

The Partners you will work with:

SEND Ghana has previously implemented the ACCESS and Fostering project and in some initiatives including 4R-NSP in partnership with CDF with funding from GAC. SEND Ghana focuses on research and advocacy to increase good governance practices of accountability, transparency, equity and participation in pro-poor policies and social services as well as empowers and resource poor women and men to expand their small enterprises to improve income and farmers to increase food and nutrition security. 

What you will do – Activities and deliverables

The Women’s Economic Empowerment Advisor will be based in Bimbila and spearhead transformative initiatives aimed at supporting marginalized women in adopting sustainable livelihoods that are both empowering and gender-sensitive. By focusing on the economic and social empowerment of women, the volunteer will promote programs that enhance women’s access to economic opportunities, skills development, and financial independence. The role will also emphasize fostering environmental sustainability and ensuring that the strategies implemented contribute to reducing poverty, building resilience, and ensuring long-term inclusive development for women. The overall objective is to empower women to achieve economic independence, improve their livelihoods, and secure a more equitable and sustainable future.

Your assignment

The Women’s Economic Empowerment Advisor will work closely with the co-op credit union groups and the Credit unions to help them identify viable business opportunities that are specifically tailored to women’s needs and entrepreneurial aspirations. The primary goal will be to support these women-led co-op groups in developing the necessary plans, procedures, and frameworks to successfully grow and sustain their businesses.

The ideal candidate will focus on strengthening the entrepreneurial skills of women within these co-op groups, empowering them to engage in income-generating activities that enhance their economic independence. The advisor will prioritize women's leadership, ensuring that the women within the primary co-op groups are the primary beneficiaries of these programs. The focus will be to:

In country mandate deliverables

• Conduct gender-sensitive assessment to identify the specific economic challenges and opportunities for women in marginalized communities.
• Develop and implement tailored programs that promote women’s economic independence, focusing on entrepreneurship, vocational training, and access to markets and enable women to transform their business ideas into viable income-generating enterprises.
•  Provide women with the necessary tools, training, and support to develop skills in financial management, business development, and sustainable agricultural or alternative livelihoods.
• Integrate environmental sustainability into women’s economic empowerment programs by promoting sustainable livelihoods, such as eco-friendly businesses and sustainable agriculture.
• Support women to identify business opportunities that align with their skills and interests, ensuring they are equipped to launch and sustain successful ventures.
• Design and implement monitoring and evaluation plan to assess the impact of the women’s economic empowerment programs.
• Provide regular updates and impact reports to CPO, highlighting successes, challenges, and areas for improvement.
• Provide training, (TOT) tools, orientation that will enable the co-op managers to support the co-ops to continue to find women economic project that are viable and sustainable for project impact.
• Collect field success stories and share them with the communication advisor and have them published. Assist with field data collection on the progress and impact of the project on the members of the prima co-op groups

Qualifications

The successful applicant must possess the following skills, experiences, and personal characteristics: 

• At least 2 years of experience designing and implementing women’s economic empowerment programs in developing country contexts, with a focus on entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and sustainable livelihoods for women.
• Experience and knowledge of co-operatives. Proven experience in co-operative development in a developing country context will be an asset.
• Excellent facilitation and interpersonal skills
• Excellent capacity to analyze, develop recommendations and capture lessons learned
• Knowledge in community participation methodologies.
• Experience facilitating group learning/training sessions or focus groups.
• Demonstrated experience working internationally, including rural and remote context
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive data.

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:

·        Return-trip international and/or domestic airfare.

·        Visa-related costs (if needed).

·        Police record check.

·        International health insurance.

·        Vaccination and health-related costs (covered by the insurance if needed).

·        Interpreter and/or translator (if needed and depending on the assignment).

·        Modest monthly living allowance.

·        Pre-departure support and orientation.

·        Support and orientation during the assignment.

·        Debriefing upon completion of the assignment.

E-volunteering

Depending on the nature of the assignment, volunteers are encouraged to provide e-volunteering support to our local partners before or after their 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 assignment, to share their experience during and upon return to 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 other Canadians to volunteer.