Gender Advocacy Specialist, Cowater International, Indonesia

Job Description

Founded in 1985, Cowater International Inc. has built a global reputation for excellence in the world of management consulting in international development. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, and with experience in more than 65 countries, Cowater has established itself as Canada’s leading management consulting firm in international development.

Cowater is currently recruiting a Gender Advocacy Specialist who will will lead advocacy work that supports broad-based transformation of gendered norms and institutions that (consciously or unconsciously) undermine women’s empowerment. The Specialist will also support stakeholder efforts and relationships that promote women’s economic empowerment. Key responsibilities could include:

• Support development of advocacy strategy; engagement with networks, research institutes, advocacy groups, women’s rights organisations.
• Convene groups of influential people and institutions in ways that encourage them to create and/or promote change within their spheres and influence.
• Develop and seek financial support for public campaigns that aim to open up the dialogue regarding women’s economic empowerment issues, particularly the gendered division of labour, wage equality, and the double-burden of waged and domestic duties.
• Look to examples of successful advocacy and campaign strategies from around the world (including those that have emerged in the region), with a view to supporting such efforts to grow, forming linkages, disseminating good practice approaches to like-minded groups.
• Manage the research program, contribute to knowledge building across the program.
• Utilise evidence to support advocacy and campaigning strategies.
• Support the implementation of gender equity work place strategies and design and implement national level campaigns.

Required Qualifications

• Advanced degree in social science, economics, finance, or related field
• At least 15 years’ experience working in women’s economic empowerment
• Extensive knowledge and skills in gender and sectors of trade, finance, economics, SME development
• Experience in gender-focused and data- or evidence-driven advocacy, campaigning or policy development, and
• Well-developed networks across civil society, private sector and governments across the region
• Strong relationship-building, networking, and representational experience.

All applications are to be submitted here through our job board. This recruitment is open until November 30, 2015, however, candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. We thank all applicants, however only those making the shortlist will be contacted.

About the Organization

Cowater International Inc. is a private Canadian consulting company established in 1985, specializing in international development. Cowater possesses a broad multidisciplinary capacity with a staff that includes engineers, institutional and financial experts, social scientists, and project managers. Cowater works primarily on projects financed by international funding agencies – the World Bank, African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Caribbean Development Bank, United Nations Agencies, the Department for International Development (DFID), and the Canadian InternationalDevelopment Agency (CIDA) – but it also works directly with the governments of developing countries, the private sector and civil society. In Asia specifically, Cowater has completed more than thirty development projects – including two very successful assignments in the Philippines.

Cowater is a dynamic company which, during its 28-year history, has grown from three original partners to 41 headquarters employees and more than 400 project staff overseas. The company has permanent subsidiary operations in South Africa (Cowater-CRG (Pty) Ltd.) and the United States (Cowater Alaska).

Cowater offers services at the policy, program and project levels, developing and managing major projects as well as undertaking studies, sector reviews, evaluations, and training and communications activities. We emphasize human, community and institutional capacity building using a structured approach to change, which links our technical expertise to the needs of our clients. We strongly believe in participatory approaches to development, which encourages stakeholder “buy-in” and ensures sustainability.

The company specializes in five main sectors:

• water supply, sanitation and environment;
• social development;
• accounting, auditing and financial management;
• financial institutions; and
• municipal services and enterprise development.

Water, Sanitation and Environment Group

Cowater’s Water, Sanitation and Environment Group focuses on the planning and provision of accessible potable water, good hygiene, sustainable sanitation, and a liveable environment as essential requirements of health, productivity and a good quality of life. Our focus is on project implementation and the capacity building of institutions, community organizations and people, as well as appropriate affordable technology. We incorporate government, non-government and private sector institutions into our project designs, and put great emphasis on involving the beneficiary community in project and program planning and decision-making. The community is assisted to operate and maintain the facilities through training and the establishment of community-based management structures.

Cowater also works closely with governments to assist in institutional strengthening and reform, planning for both the rural and urban sectors, setting of tariffs, cost recovery and water resources management. We also work with private businesses to provide them with opportunities to supply sustainable and competitively-priced goods and services in these sectors. Cowater emphasizes the important linkages between water, sanitation, health and the environment. Environmental sanitation and hygiene education are essential elements to the integrated package of services, without which only partial benefits are accrued.

Social Development Group

Specialists with Cowater’s Social Development Group help strengthen institutions and programs which empower poor people. They advise on approaches to community and rural development and offer specialized services in such areas as institutional strengthening, gender equality, social communication, communication for development, participatory approaches, income generation, community mobilization, and designing multi-sectoral development programs for disadvantaged groups.

Public Financial Management and Accountability (PFMA) Group

Cowater’s PFMA Group is a team of experienced financial management experts and debt management specialists, recognized for their achievements in enhancing accountability and institutional strengthening within the public (national and municipal) sector. Cowater’s specialists have assisted numerous governments at all levels in improving their accounting, budgeting and auditing performance.

Financial Institutions Group

Cowater Financial Institutions Group promotes effective operation, management and governance of financial institutions worldwide. This includes working directly with state and commercial banks, regulatory agencies/institutions, and savings and credit institutions to support enhanced systems and operations in line with international best practices.

Municipal Services and Enterprise Group

Cowater’s Municipal Services and Enterprise Group manages multidisciplinary projects that combine and build upon the expertise of the company’s core groups. This group covers a variety of sectors, but areas of special concentration are public sector governance, decentralization, municipal services and management, and social/infrastructure fund management.

http://www.cowater.com/job-listings/