Advocacy and Policy Officer for Asia At The Global Fund for Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence

Vacancy Announcement

Title: Advocacy and Policy Officer for Asia

Type of contract: Employment

Contract duration: 24-month contract with possible renewal

Work time: Full-time position (40 hours per week)

Reporting to: Regional Coordinator for Asia

Location: Home-based in Asia, preferably in Jakarta – Indonesia, Bangkok – Thailand, or in one of GSF countries of work (Nepal, Timor Leste, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thai-Myanmar border, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka), with frequent travel

Start date: 1 May 2024

Application deadline: 15 March 2024

Background

The Global Survivors Fund (“GSF”) was launched in October 2019 by Dr Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad, Nobel Peace Prize laureates 2018. Its mission is to enhance access to reparations for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence around the globe, thus responding to a gap long identified by survivors. GSF acts to provide interim reparative measures in situations where states or other parties are unable or unwilling to meet their responsibilities. GSF advocates for duty bearers as well as the international community to develop reparations programmes. It also guides states and civil society by providing expertise and technical support for designing reparations programmes. GSF’s survivor-centric approach is the cornerstone of its work.

Role Summary

GSF’s work is structured around three key pillars that are interlinked: Act (interim reparative measures (IRM) projects), Advocate and Guide. The Advocacy pillar aims to influence the international, regional and national advocacy and policy agendas to enable reparations for conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). The Advocacy pillar has an International Advocacy and Policy Unit, and its national dimension is part of the National Advocacy and Technical Assistance (NATS) Unit under the Guide pillar, supporting and promoting national advocacy work. In the Guide pillar, the NATS Unit also provides technical support to States, civil society organisations, survivors and others at the national level to shape reparations policy and programmes. The Advocacy and Policy Officer for Asia’s position includes both NATS and International Advocacy and Policy responsibilities.

The Advocacy and Policy Officer for Asia will report to the Regional Coordinator for Asia, with functional reporting to the Head of International Advocacy and Policy, and the Head of National Advocacy and Technical Support. They will work in close collaboration with the Reparation Praxis Hub, the Global Reparations Study team, the Communications Unit and colleagues coordinating GSF work in specific Asian countries, to ensure survivors’ access to reparations.

Position Responsibilities

Regional Advocacy & Policy

• Support the development by the Regional Coordinator for Asia of an advocacy and policy strategy aimed at engaging multiple stakeholders at the regional and national levels in Asia to influence policy in prioritising reparations for CRSV survivors;
• Lead GSF’s strategic engagement with government and other institutional stakeholders at the regional level to raise understanding on reparations and CRSV and identify opportunities for influencing policy change to prioritise reparations for CRSV survivors, including based on the GSF Global Reparation Study findings, in coordination with the Regional Coordinator for Asia;
• Support the development of advocacy tools by Asian survivors of CRSV, such as a Call for Action;
• Support GSF’s international advocacy efforts on reparation for children and financing reparations, in particular in relation to Myanmar, in collaboration with the International Advocacy and Policy Unit.

National Advocacy & Technical Support

• Provide advice and guidance to contribute to the development by GSF colleagues working on specific countries in Asia of national advocacy and policy strategies, including via direct engagement in activities, when relevant;
• Provide advice and guidance to support the development and execution by national partners and survivors of their advocacy goals, initiatives and campaigns, in liaison with GSF colleagues working on specific countries in Asia;
• Support the development of strategies and tools to build technical capacity of State and transitional justice mechanism officials;

Key transversal responsibilities

• Work directly with survivor groups to engage CRSV survivors and ensure that advocacy efforts are survivor-centric and that survivors actively participate in the design and implementation of advocacy efforts, and support the integration of Asian survivors into the SEMA network;
• Identify and develop networks of experts, partner organisations and other key stakeholders including but not limited to NGOs, multilateral organisations, donors, government officials, coalitions, local CSOs and survivor groups to engage on advocacy and policy initiatives and collaborate with in the implementation of the strategy;
• Engage with regional institutions and inter-governmental organisations, including the United Nations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) to influence policy at the regional and national levels;
• Provide support to regional partners, civil society organisations and survivor networks in the development and execution of their advocacy goals, initiatives and campaigns.
• Contribute, when required and relevant to the position, to key publications and materials, including policy and advocacy documents and other submissions to respond to key advocacy opportunities and to guide policy and practice of CRSV reparations initiatives at national and regional levels;
• Support the organisation of strategic advocacy events, trainings, roundtables and other such events to deepen expert knowledge, share experiences and strengthen communities of practice;
• Coordinate with other Units to ensure that relevant information, contacts, needs and experiences are shared and that all pillars are mutually reinforcing;

Collaboration with Act pillar (IRM projects)

• Support colleagues working on specific countries in Asia to develop strategies to influence policy change in IRM countries, including to frame IRM projects activities within broader advocacy and technical support strategies and initiatives;
• Share relevant information, contacts and experience with colleagues working in Asia to ensure that all pillars are mutually reinforcing each other on their advocacy and policy work as well as on the identification of key advocacy and policy opportunities;
• Include lessons learnt from IRM Projects, in particular those implemented in the Asia region, in the advocacy and policy work.

Other core activities

• Monitor and evaluate national and regional advocacy work using predefined key performance and impact indicators and adjust work as required based on such results;
• Represent GSF in external events and forums as they relate to national or regional advocacy and policy efforts at GSF;
• Oversee and contribute to the design/writing of funding applications, narrative and budget proposals relevant for advocacy by national and regional partners, make recommendations on whether GSF should support them, draw necessary paperwork to document partnerships and help materialise new partnerships;
• Ensure that advocacy and policy projects are within scope, time and budget;
• Support external communication activities, including developing materials, talking points and messages for strategic communication purposes related to Asia together with the Communications Unit;
• Contribute to reporting of activities within GSF;
• Travel to countries where GSF is active as required for key advocacy and policy engagement; and
• Perform any other duties as required to support the work of the broader Programmes department.

Position Requirements

Education and Experience

• A degree in law, international relations, Asia studies, or related discipline and a postgraduate degree in international human rights law, transitional justice, or other relevant equivalent studies that show knowledge of the subject matter and of Asia (reparations and/or survivors of conflict-related sexual violence);
• 5 to 7 years of progressive relevant advocacy experience working on human rights, humanitarian law, conflict-related sexual violence, reparations, and/or transitional justice in Asia.

Other requirements

• Preferably the person should be a national of an Asian country;
• Excellent public speaking, presentation and training skills;
• Excellent research, drafting, editing and speaking skills in English. English is the working language of GSF. Good knowledge in any additional language from one of GSF countries of intervention in Asia would also be an asset;
• Experience working in Asia. Experience working in at least one of the countries where GSF is implementing projects would be an asset;
• Proven ability researching, writing, and finalising key outputs in the fields of work of GSF such as key publications (advocacy or academic);
• Professional demeanour and excellent verbal communication and inter-personal skills;
• Excellent networking skills;
• Creativity and ability to think “out of the box” for solutions to complex problems;
• Robust planning and organisation skills, ability to identify priorities and adjust plans and actions as necessary;
• Attention to detail and ability to work independently, sometimes under pressure and under tight deadlines;
• Strong work ethic and demonstrated ability to take initiative;
• Enthusiastic and positive attitude;
• Sensitivity to cultural, ethnic, religious and gender issues relevant to the Asian context and strong sense of ethics;
• Ability to travel regularly;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) desirable.