The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
The IRC began planning to reopen an oPt country program in mid-2022 and launched an emergency response in Gaza in October 2023. The organization is currently supporting a network of local partners in both Gaza and the West Bank to sustain critical health, protection, food security, cash, education, and early childhood development interventions. The IRC is also deploying emergency medical teams to provide surge clinical capacity in hospitals and other health facilities.
The IRC is working to scale its emergency response while building a longer-term oPt country program in parallel. This effort is being jointly managed by the Emergencies and Humanitarian Action Unit (EHAU) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with a view to eventually transition the country program fully under the MENA region.
In Gaza, the IRC is currently scaling up its direct program implementation in protection, with a particular focus on child protection and women’s protection and empowerment / gender-based violence (GBV) programming. The aim of IRC’s WPE programming in Gaza is that women and girls receive GBV response services and are supported through risk mitigation.
Job overview
The Women’s Protection and Empowerment Officer, Violence Prevention (WPE Prevention Officer) will oversee Violence against Women and Girls(VAWG) prevention, community engagement and risk reduction activities. These activities will focus on – engaging with women and girls; and targeting communities on issues relating to VAWG to using a variety of context appropriate methods – information dissemination through discussion sessions and info boards, creative events. conducting regular safety audits and community mapping, and risk identification and mitigation. Messages developed by the WPE Prevention Officer, with supervision and collaboration from the WPE manager, will cover the types of services available to women and girl survivors, where these services are available, how communities can support survivors to access services, and the consequences of VAWG and the benefits of seeking care and support.
Major responsibilities
Technical Quality
•Reinforce adherence to the VAWG/GBV guiding principles throughout all WPE activities.
•Ensure that engagement with women, girls and the wider community adheres to best-practice principles when working with women and girl survivors.
Staff Supervision & Development
•Directly supervise WPE Outreach Workers / Community Workers.
•Mentor and support staff professional development and foster a positive team spirit to encourage innovative and quality programming.
•Identify training needs for Community Outreach Workers, and support organization and facilitation of training to meet those needs, in collaboration with the WPE Officer and WPE Program Manager.
•Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
•As requested, assist in providing capacity building support for partners
Grant Planning & Implementation
•Prepare and maintain/update detailed work plan(s) that support and achieve activities.
•Provide direct support to WPE Community Outreach Workers / Community Workers in developing and implementing activity plans that respond to case trends and identified needs.
•Develop key messages, outreach activities and community engagement plan in coordination with outreach workers.
•Oversee regular engagement activities with women and girls to assure access to services.
Coordination & Representation
•Identify concerns related to and support adherence to referral protocols by all relevant stakeholders.
•Develop and maintain effective working relationships with relevant stakeholders including community leaders and other implementing partners.
Monitoring responsibilities
•Prepare and submit weekly, monthly and three-month work plans in a timely manner, and incorporate supervisor feedback as requested.
•Compile monthly activity report for submission to the WPE Manager.
•Ensure that all relevant financial documentation is accurately completed and submitted, as required by IRC policies.
Other Duties:
•Ensure all activities are carried out in accordance with IRC Operational policies.
•Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs.
Requirements:
•Bachelor of Arts or Science in Social Science, Public Health, Humanities or other related field, desirable.
•At least 2-3 years’ experience in implementing GBV programs, preferably in the field of psychosocial interventions, counseling and GBV risk reduction strategies for women and girls, including GBV survivors.
•Clear understanding of, and interest in, violence against women and girls, the wellbeing of women and girls, supporting their healing after experiences of violence, human rights, and gender.
•Experience with community outreach, engagement, sensitization, or mobilization.
•Demonstrated understanding of and ability to maintain confidentiality and respect for clients.
•Experience facilitating trainings and workshops and mentoring others.
•Positive and professional attitude, including ability to lead and work well in a team setting.
•High degree of flexibility and strong ability to organize work, meet deadlines, maintain composure, prioritize work under pressure, coordinate multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail.
•Highly motivated, interested and eager to learn.
•Computer literate, including Microsoft Word and Excel.
•Advanced language skills in both English and Arabic a plus.
•Available to travel within Gaza, as required.
Key working relationships
•Supervisor: This position reports to the WPE Manager.
•Staff management: This position will supervise the community outreach workers and community facilitators.
•Internal: This position will work closely with the WPE response officer and coordinate with child protection program, and other sectors as required.
•External: Coordinating with other support and operational sectors within IRC as well as representing IRC in some external meetings as needed or required.
Standard of Professional Conduct:The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.
Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.