CARE is an international NGO with local staff and community partners in 100 countries. We create local solutions to poverty and inequality and we seek dignity for everyone every day and during times of crisis.  These solutions have a broad range, from disaster response to food and nutrition to education and work for women and girls to healthy mothers and children. CARE puts women and girls at the center of everything we do because when they have equal access to resources, they lift their families and communities out of poverty. Our staff live where they work, which makes us effective at understanding the challenges they face. We’ve been doing this for 75 years, since World War II. It started with the world’s first CARE Package® of food for the post-war hungry in Europe. Our work today is as important as ever, we believe that poverty and inequality are historic injustices that we can end within a generation, for good. If you share our core beliefs: poverty is an injustice; poverty is solvable; and together, we have the power to end it, join us, and Fight with CARE.​

The National Gender, Equity, Diversity & Safeguarding (GEDS) Officer position will be under the Strategy & Partnerships Director and the Program Quality and Accountability and Learning (PQAL) team members. S/he will assist with the expansion and quality improvement of CARE's programming in Kenya and will work closely with both humanitarian emergency and development teams/projects, supporting all project teams to ensure the smooth running of existing and new programs. S/he will promote the integration of gender, equity, diversity & safeguarding (mitigation & prevention of PSEA), as well as a more systematic approach to design analysis and implementation in all CARE activities. S/he will promote this mainstreaming through consultation, negotiation, influencing and direct support to Project Managers and Gender/Protection Officers. S/he will be a member of the Program Quality, Accountability & Learning team and will ensure very close collaboration with the other cross-cutting priority managers and team members. S/he will ensure coherence and consistency of CARE's gender approaches and safeguarding (PSHEA) policies in all CARE projects and will be responsible, along with the project managers for integrating qualitative and quantitative impact indicators into all project frameworks. 

JOB RESPONSIBILITY 1: Strategy & Coordination - 30%

• Develop  and support implementation of a gender, equity, and diversity (GED) strategy based on an analysis of the program context (including staff, partners and beneficiaries) and provide leadership for its implementation - this strategy should be aligned with the new CARE Kenya CO (Country Office) strategy for the period 2022-2026.
• Ensure that CARE staff  are informed and contribute to the organization's learning and knowledge on gender and diversity issues.
• Support CARE's efforts across all projects to operationalize common women's empowerment and gender indicators.
• Establish a solid foundation for gender equity in the Kenya context by building on organizational frameworks and documents (Gender Equality framework, CARE International CMP strategies and other country offices applicable programming frameworks and Gender Equality approaches).
• Support all projects to identify and develop a gender, diversity and inclusion approach that contributes to the prevention and effective response to sexual violence, gender equality and justice programming.
• Provide technical support to project managers to ensure quality implementation of gender activities.
• Supporting and lead (when necessary) gender studies and/or analysis, security/safety audits and other GED-related evaluations and reviews.
• Coordinate and support input into the development of gender components in project proposals in collaboration with project  managers  in accordance with CARE GED standards & needs and CO program strategy.

JOB RESPONSIBILITY 2: Program Quality & Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning - 25%

• Consolidate and analyze contextual information, research and learnings to improve the GED strategy and promote the CARE Kenya country office strategy.
• Research best practices and strategic/programmatic innovations for social transformation of gender relations that include men, women, minorities , leaders and decision makers.
• Contribute to the documentation of learning and innovations achieved by CARE and its partners in the field of GED. 
• Ensure that the Gender Marker is used in program design, implementation and evaluation.
• Contribute to the reporting of projects in PIIRS regarding the Gender Marker and PSEA Marker.
• Ensure alignment with CARE International's overall strategy, integration and monitoring of GED indicators within the CO. 
• Develop and update the CO Gender in Brief. 
• With support from the management coordinate and undertake the CO gender audit.

JOB RESPONSIBILITY 3: Safeguarding (Protection from Sexual Harassment, Exploitation & Abuse) - 25%

• Support  CO and CARE HQ (safeguarding and PSHEA team) in their supervision and management of safeguarding issues and concerns.
• Ensure that the CO has high standards of prevention and response measures for PSHEA are in place in accordance with CARE International's (CI) Safeguarding Policy and Safeguarding Code of Conduct. 
• Create an environment within CARE workplaces, programs and communities where CARE works that is free from sexual harassment, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation and abuse of children.
• Responsible for receiving complaints of sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, and child abuse from within the country team and introducing them for proper investigation via the CO’s active complaint & feedback mechanisms and designated PSHEA Focal points and investigation. 
• Undertake other safeguarding and PSHEA roles as set by the CO and HQ leadership teams by ensuring that complainants are properly informed of the results and that actions determined by investigations are properly carried out.
• Manage a larger network of Safeguarding/PSHEA focal points across CARE Kenya’s offices as well as act as the main focal point for PSHEA for the CARE Kenya team within the CARE International federation. 
• Coordinate and advise on the implementation of CARE’s safeguarding and anti-harassment policies and practices. 
• Ensure the implementation of a PSHEA action plan at the CO level.
• Monitor the progress of all PSHEA-related activities.

JOB RESPONSIBILITY 4: Representation and collaboration - 15%

• Represent CARE in networks and alliances for GEDS advocacy in the CO and within the CARE Confederation.
• Develop strategic partnerships on gender issues (authorities, other NGOs, UN agencies, donors, etc.) and represent CARE's interests at the national level on this and related subjects as guided by the Strategy and Partnership Director.
• Participate in (and lead where necessary or strategic in) various gender fora (coordination meetings, governmental thematic groups) in Kenya.
• Represent CARE Kenya in working groups, working on GEDS within the CARE International Confederation.

• Bachelor degree in Gender and Development studies - in the field of women's/gender studies, Anthropology, Sociology, or a related field.

Added Advantage

• Master’s degree in Gender and Development studies or International Development - in the field of women's/gender studies and Economics, Anthropology and Sociology.

Experience/Technical Skills

• At least 5 years of professional experience in the humanitarian/development field.
• 3-5 years of experience in a gender and diversity related field such as GED and PSEA training, facilitation, research and/or implementation.
• Strong understanding of the humanitarian and development context in Kenya.
• Ability to work with a diverse team and work well as a team.
• Ability to be a self-starter and proactive in their daily work.
• Familiarity with basic Microsoft Word applications, including Word, Excel & PowerPoint.
• Ability to work, facilitate and manage knowledge and learning on gender, equity, diversity and PSHEA issues.
• Have the ability to promote new ideas, develop participatory approaches and make practical applications in the work. 
• Good understanding of development, politics, conflict and human rights issues in Kenya, laws and international instruments regulating especially GBV and the rights of women and girls (including with refugee populations and in emergency and/or conflict contexts as well as in long-term development programming).
• Ability to lead and design (rapid) gender analysis, gender audits, gender evaluations, safety audits.
• Excellent writing and analytical skills and experience in advocacy and/or social negotiation.
• Proactive and able to propose adaptation as the situation on the ground and as the context evolves.
• Ability to speak, read, and write English and Swahili, especially communication skills for diverse audiences.

Desired

• Additional language skills, beyond English and Kiswahili.
• Data analysis & other related MEAL (monitoring, evaluation and learning) skills.
• Notions of information management and retention. 
• Project management training/skills.
• Familiarity with CARE’s approaches and/or programming in Kenya.

Deadline to receive all applications will be on or before  31st December 2021, at 5.00 P.M EAT. 

Only short listed candidates will be contacted. Canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification.

CARE does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. Qualified Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply. CARE has a commitment to gender, equity and diversity in our workplace and operations. CARE respects and values diversity and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, gender identity, sexuality, ethnicity, age, disability, religion or politics. This is reflected in our recruitment decisions which are made entirely through a transparent, merit-based selection process. All CARE staffs are required to comply with the Code of Conduct, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) and Child Protection (CP) policies.