Intern (Goma) - Gender and SGBV

INTERNSHIP TITLE: **DRC (Goma) - Gender and SGBV Intern

INTERN WORKSITE LOCATION: Goma, DRC

DATES OF INTERNSHIP: June 2016 – December 2016

LENGTH OF INTERNSHIP: 6 months

FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THE INTERNSHIP:

• Mercy Corps responsibilities

For the duration of this internship assignment the intern will receive:

• Standard local per diem ($800/month) to be distributed in-country (note that the per diem increases to $1100/month for internships longer than 6 months)
• ISOS Emergency Med-Evac Coverage
• Health insurance (approx. $100/month) to be reimbursed by DRC office
• Ground transport in country
• Visa fees (reimbursed by DRC office)
• Housing in Goma (shared)
• One leave day per month
• Intern responsibilities

Intern will remain responsible for all costs associated with:

• International travel
• Medical costs in addition to standard insurance coverage (vaccinations, if applicable)
• All other costs associated with this internship

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Mercy Corps is searching for an energetic, enthusiastic, flexible and talented intern to join us short term (6 months) to support gender integration activities across Mercy Corps’ programs in DRC. Mercy Corps has been operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since August 2007, with a staff of about 200 people. Mercy Corps’ country office is located in Goma with field offices in Katwe, Mweso, Butembo (North Kivu) and Bukavu (South Kivu), and a representative office in Kinshasa.

Current Mercy Corps DRC activities in DRC focus on the provision of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, but also on large-scale WASH infrastructure and the development of service delivery in urban centers. Mercy Corps also implements food security, good governance and economic recovery programs, with an increasing shift towards transitional and integrated development programming.

Technical support for gender integration is provided to all programs, at all stages of the program cycle and following Mercy Corps gender minimum standards, policy and procedures. Gender integration is guided by the Gender Advisor and aims towards a gender sensitive Mercy Corps DRC mission where at program and organizational level:

• Male and female groups of different ages have equitable access to resources, information, and decision-making processes;
• Policies, strategies, behavior and norms promote gender equity;
• Roots of gender based violence are addressed and when necessary preventive and responsive systems are effectively in place;
• At program and mission level, there is transparency on and commitment towards resources allocated to the pursuit of these objectives, and on towards the related strategies and policies against which our staff members are held accountable

The intern will support gender integration across programs and at the mission level.

Gender integration across programs requires that the technical capacity of staff on gender concepts and gender integration related to their specific sector is developed. In each program gender sensitive data is gathered periodically and used to inform the elaboration of gender strategies and action plans, gender focal points are embedded within programs and able to follow up on gender integration plans. Identified SGBV risks in each program are evaluated and mitigated against, including adapting complaints mechanisms and employing external referral pathways to SGBV services. Gender integration within the Mercy Corps DRC mission requires review and adaption of relevant HR, communications, finance and operations policies and procedures to ensure they promote a gender equitable organizational culture. To implement gender integration at both the mission and program levels, gender sensitive accountability structures will be reinforced to ensure that staff and beneficiaries are able to access complaints mechanisms which effectively respond to gender discrimination/SGBV. Open communication with communities and key stakeholders will be reinforced so that they are aware of gender sensitive rights and approaches in relation to Mercy Corps activities.

Areas of focus may include:

Supporting the Gender Advisor and multiple program teams in:

• Developing gender integration tools and methodologies, with special attention to Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV)
• Preparing, organizing, and co-leading protection-focused workshops and trainings for Mercy Corps staff, partners, and members of the community
• Collaborating with individual program teams to ensure their strategies are gender sensitive and reflect a specific attention to SGBV aspects
• Supporting the development of SGBV mitigation measures for each program
• Collaborating with external SGBV service providers to develop external referral processes and facilitating training for staff on SGBV safe identification and referral
• Collaborating with the Mercy Corps Gender Advisor and Monitoring and Evaluation teams to develop gender sensitive research tools and to support the analysis and sharing of results, including recommendations, with the relevant program teams
• Revising mission-level policies and procedures from a gendered perspective and providing head of departments with recommendations for the integration of gender concerns
• Ensuring gender integration within new program proposal, based on collection of lessons learnt from current programs, literature reviews and available gender assessment data
• Planning and attending the celebration of key gender and SGBV prevention events

Areas of focus and learning objectives of this internship may be adjusted to better fit the interests, needs, skills, and objectives of the selected intern.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

At the completion of this internship, the intern will:

• Be able to develop evidence-based gender recommendation for gender inclusion across food security, WASH and emergency humanitarian and development programs
• Better understand the operating context of Eastern DRC, including an understanding of the gender and SGBV sectors and other actors involved in this area
• Be able to apply different methodologies for the elaboration and delivery of gender trainings, including developing training facilitation skills
• Improve understanding of monitoring and evaluation systems, including key quantitative and qualitative research processes, and data analysis.
• Gain skills in coordinating across diverse teams to plan and follow up on agreed tasks
• Understand the operational and administrative components required for an international non-governmental organization to operate in the field context

The intern will also have the opportunity to benefit from Mercy Corps global learning resources and develop knowledge of Mercy Corps gender integration strategies at the global level.

DELIVERABLES:

The Intern will support the team through the following activities:

1. Support the design of the gender integration strategy for new programs during the start-up phase
2. Work with program staff to collect, organize, summarize and utilize data to inform the development/adaption of gender integration strategies
3. Assist in preparation and participation of trainings for staff, community members, volunteers, partner organizations, and other stakeholders on gender integration and SGBV prevention, reporting and response
4. Develop SGBV mitigation and referral measures within each program (e.g. inclusion of early warning indicators, development of referral processes, creation of a dedicated branch of the complaint mechanism, providing training on safe identification and referral of survivors)

IDEAL CANDIDATE SHOULD POSSESS THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATIONS:

• Currently working towards or has recently completed a Master's degree in one of the following: gender studies, political science, anthropology, law, community development, or other related field with a specific gender focus or equivalent work experience
• Intermediate to fluent communication skills in French is required; intermediate to fluent English is desirable; ability to speak Swahili is a plus
• Previous experiences of traveling, living, or volunteering in developing countries, or experience in SGBV service provision or volunteering/working on gender issues in country of origin
• Experience or demonstrated interest in the gender sector, with a specific focus on SGBV
• Understanding of and strong interest to apply evidence based gender integration methods
• Ability to respect Mercy Corps procedures, to meet deadlines, to work independently and cooperatively with team members is required
• Patient, calm, flexible and willing to come to work each day with a sense of humor and a positive approach
• Intermediate IT skills including Microsoft packages and internet tools

LIVING CONDITIONS:

This position will be based in Goma (DRC), with some travel to field offices where necessary. Accommodation will be provided in Goma within group housing. Goma is a provincial capital of over 700,000 inhabitants. Living in Goma is comfortable, although water and electricity can be unstable. There are different restaurants and leisure activities available.

While conditions in the country are improving, and security is quite stable in Goma, there are still pockets of violence and insecurity. Mercy Corps' sub-offices experience variable levels of insecurity, with the situation closely monitored by UN peacekeepers. Air travel is necessary to get from one end of the country to the other. Mobile phones and cellular service are widely available. Internet is available in all Mercy Corps offices. There are a number of health services available with evacuation options for serious illnesses. There’s reasonable access to most consumer goods, although they can be expensive.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Mercy Corps interns and volunteers represent the agency both during and outside of work hours and are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Candidates interested in this internship should submit a resume and a statement of interest. In your statement, you are encouraged to discuss any experiences related relevant to the projects outlined. You may wish to describe your career interests (specifically as they relate to policy and advocacy, humanitarian aid, or development) and discuss your previous work and educational experiences demonstrating these interests. Your application will be reviewed by the hiring team within 3 weeks of submission and shortlisted candidates will be contacted directly for interviews. All applicants will receive notification once a decision has been made.

HOW TO APPLY:

www.mercycorps.org/careers/internships