Program Officer

Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW) is a national Kenyan not-for-profit women’s rights organization. We are committed to advancing women’s rights; and work towards achieving a society free from all forms of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). COVAW was founded in 1995 as a response to the silence of the Kenyan society to addressing VAWG.

COVAW implements projects under five (5) strategic focus areas including: Access to Comprehensive Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) Services; Women’s Economic Empowerment; Women’s Leadership Development; Access to Justice; and Institutional Development.

COVAW’s interventions deliberately address norms, attitudes, laws, policies and practices that affect women and girl’s safety and wellbeing in general. This is done through supporting development and implementation of gender progressive laws, policies and guidelines and consistent engagement with different actors to prevent and respond to VAWG and to hold perpetrators of these violations accountable. Our key actors are the community, civil society, government and private sector.

About the project

The Action for paid Childcare sector Transformation (ACT) project is a 4-year collaborative initiative that uses an innovative systems approach to drive gender transformative, locally-owned, collaborative action to transform paid childcare from a job of last resort to a vocation of choice, and for the paid childcare sector to become one of economic prosperity for women in Kenya and in Malawi. ACT aligns with Canada’s commitment made towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 (gender equality and empowerment), SDG 8 (decent work for all), Canada’s FIAP action area on growth that works for everyone.

The project is being implemented by WUSC as the lead partner, Uthabiti Africa and the Coalition of Violence Against Women (COVAW) in Kenya, and the Women’s Legal Resources Centre (WOLREC) in Malawi. In Kenya the project is being implemented in three counties, Nairobi, Kisumu and Kakamega.

COVAW’s role in the project: COVAW is responsible for ensuring context-relevant feminist principles drive project interventions, bring women’s rights perspectives & networks to design & implementation, lead on areas focused on the rights of women paid childcare providers. COVAW is also responsible for managing relationships with other relevant ecosystem actors to develop their capacities to champion and uphold the rights of women childcare providers.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Lead in implementation of the ACT project in the three counties. Key activities include designing and delivery of an advocacy and awareness raising plan and campaign for childcare ecosystem actors on SGBV and rights of women in paid childcare, designing an ecosystem actor capacity enhancement program for childcare ecosystem actors etc.

• Oversee day-to-day coordination and delivery of project activities in conjunction with staff and partners

• Collaborate with project partners to develop key project planning documents such as Annual Work Plan using results based management approaches and tools

• Ensure focus on gender equality outcomes and deliverables

• Lead project activity documentation based on key interventions that are implemented, working with the other project teams.

• Lead the program team in the engagement of civil society organisations, private sector actors, government and communities to enhance their capacity to conduct coordinated lobby and advocacy, addressing GBV in paid childcare ecosystem.

• Work with the program team in strengthening linkages and networks between key actors from community, county and national level with a view to strengthening the effectiveness of each actor

• Work with the project team in supporting design, production, dissemination and documentation of content and materials for use in lobby and advocacy and capacity enhancement trainings.

• Prepare accurate and timely reports of all program activities. Prepare monthly narrative reports

• Monitor the utilization of project budgets in adherence to donor and organisational rules and policies

• Support in conducting program monitoring and evaluation, outcome and end of implementation evaluation

  Qualifications/Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in Law, Sociology or Community Development with five years of experience in project implementation and management.

• Specialized training in gender and/or the care economy would be an advantage

• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills.

• Ability to work with diverse people and cultures.

• Self-starter, able to work independently but able to consult effectively, prioritize and handle multiple tasks simultaneously.

• Strong interpersonal and analytical abilities.

• Ability to work in the field, under pressure and to tight deadlines.

  Salary Range-A gross salary between Ksh. 120,000-140,000 per month with benefits.