FAWEMA
The Government of Malawi with funding from World Bank will be embarking on the implementation of a project called Malawi Education Reform Programme (MERP). The expected implementation period of the project is four (4) years. The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to improve learning environments for students in lower primary in government schools.
The Forum for African Women Educationalists Malawi Chapter (FAWEMA) is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that supports girls and women education. FAWEMA has partnered with Save the Children, Press Trust and CGA Technologies to apply for funding that will support in the implementation of the Learner Mentor sub-component of Component three (3) of the Programme. The objective of the Learner Mentor sub-component is to support the development, piloting and scaling-up of an adapted Learner Mentor intervention. Girls achieve lower learning outcomes at all stages of primary school, diverging from boys as early as Grade 4. Though Malawi has achieved gender parity in enrolment in primary school, girls are falling behind boys in terms of test scores and
primary school completion. Levels of female drop-out are high (especially in rural areas and the South) and as a result, girls are less likely than boys to complete both primary and secondary education. Component 3 supports a range of activities to raise the learning achievement for all learners in schools, including supporting female learners and improving the numbers of female teachers in schools in remote areas.
Scope Of Role
FAWEMA is therefore seeking an experienced individual who has excellent organizational and technical skills, a team player, dedicated, hardworking, innovative, highly motivated and able to work in a high-pressure environment requiring multi-tasking abilities to oversee all gender related activities related to the programme, and to ensure a gender transformative approach across the programme. S/he will lead the actual implementation of the key gender related activities of the Learner Mentor programme covering the development, piloting and
scaling-up of the Learner Mentor intervention. The candidate will lead any gender analyses, and ensure that findings are thoroughly integrated into the activity design and implementation.
Key Areas Of Accountability
- Work with the Project Team to provide technical leadership to the project to ensure thorough integration/mainstreaming of gender in all interventions
- Design and deliver realistic and pragmatic gender strategies and programming interventions that will lead to positive gender equality outcomes.
- Work with Primary School Improvement Plan (PSIP) Desk Officers to integrate gender equality considerations in Results-Based Management monitoring and reporting methods.
- Prepare, maintain, and update gender knowledge agenda, capture lessons learnt including collection and dissemination of knowledge products to stimulate internal and external knowledge exchange and to support learning around gender.
- Provide gender related technical expertise in the identification and training of 272 Core Trainers (CTs) to provide training and support to Learner Mentors, throughout the Programme
- Identify successful gender mainstreaming practices in the project that can be showcased in publications, communication materials and conferences.
- Prepare communications materials that highlight the Project’s gender equality programming, successes and lessons learnt.
- Conduct gender assessments, reviews, and audits to assess ways of institutionalising learner mentors in schools in Malawi.
- Review donor reports ensuring that they satisfy the project’s gender mainstreaming and transformative quality standards nationally and globally.
- Cultivate relationships with key stakeholders, including partner NGOs and civil society (with a focus on girls’ rights organisations and organisations of persons with disabilities), MoE, Ministry of Gender, CommunityDevelopment and Social Welfare and Ministry of Local Government officials at the district level and zonal levels.
Supporting
- Support the identification and recruitment of 5,210 Learner Mentors (school leavers based on specified criteria, in collaboration with the DEO) at the beginning of each of the two phases over the course of the project
- Provide the requisite technical expertise in developing tools, frameworks, and resources to enable effective operation of the Learner Mentors in the schools.
- Support the Project Facilitation Team (PFT) in the design of the curriculum for Learner Mentors to use in hosting school based clubs, including a focus on gender equality, wellbeing and climate change.
- Support the review, design and deliver capacity building programme for the teacher mentors in collaboration with the DEO;
- Support the identification and training of hard working female qualified teachers to become teacher mentors.
- Support the MEAL Officer in the development of an M&E system for tracking progress of Learner Mentor activities focusing on gender considerations;
- Work with the MEAL Officer to update database of Learner Mentor implementation progress, in each Phase focusing on gender and inclusion aspects;
- Support the MEAL Officer in undertaking field visits to project sites; identify impacts, operational challenges on gender, and opportunities for learning and improvement.
- Ensure that the consortium is influencing and learning from others through relevant district gender technical coordination and networking bodies such District Gender Committee meetings and Civil Society District Gender Networks
Qualifications
Master’s degree in Social Sciences, International Development, Gender, Sociology, or other related disciplines.
Experience And Skills
- have a minimum work experience of 5 years in a related field;
- have knowledge and understanding of the primary education system in Malawi;
- be an advocate of girls’ education;
- Have experience working with government as an added advantage;
- Demonstrated success in implementing gender transformative and social inclusion strategies and activities in the context of providing advisory services or implementing gender interventions in an education project or program context
- Demonstrated experience in engaging with key girls rights and education stakeholders
Method of Application
Interested candidates should request full terms of reference (ToRs) for the position through the following email address: cabuleya@yahoo.com. Application letter and CV with three traceable referees should be sent to the same email address by 5 p.m. Friday 11 November, 2022. Please note that offer of the position is contingent upon the consortium of FAWEMA, Save the Children, Press trust and CGA Technologies being awarded the project.