About Women for Women International (WfWI)

We invest in women in 17 conflict-affected countries around the world as they rebuild their lives. We invest where inequality is the greatest by helping women who are forgotten— the women survivors of war and conflict. We help them learn the skills they need to rebuild their families and communities, and to transform their lives. The women in our direct delivery programs engage in community cohorts who learn to save, build businesses, understand their rights, improve their health, and participate towards transformation for themselves, their families, and communities. For 30 years, Women for Women International (WfWI) has used an integrated approach to innovate; we are a learning organization that listens to data, our country teams, and women themselves to constantly evolve and improve the way we work. 

Since 2002, we have operated in five provinces of Afghanistan. Participants of our program receive vocational training for jobs like animal husbandry, tailoring and knitting, participating in savings and self-help groups, and learn to invest in their businesses as they receive stipends. Through this curriculum, they prepare to earn an income and invest in savings. They are trained by our team to embrace and defend their rights, support decision-making in their households, and create social change in their communities. WfWI programming includes men’s engagement, where male family members and community leaders are engaged as allies and key supporters.

WfWI also support grassroots and local organizations, led by women community leaders, to gain access to resources and capacity-strengthening that improves their ability to respond to their organization and their community’s self-identified priorities. Globally, WfWI advocates to ensure that women’s participation, voice, and leadership are central to long-term change. Through listening to women, we build the evidence base to engage decision-makers at every level in a transformative effort to sustain an enabling environment for women in conflict-affected contexts. 

Purpose of the Role

The Advocacy Coordinator will provide management, strategic direction and implementation leadership to Women for Women International’s policy and influencing work in Afghanistan and globally. They will be responsible for identifying priority areas for advocacy and influencing, strengthening the incorporation of advocacy into all aspects of WfWI’s activities, and guiding WfWI’s policy positioning and messaging based on input from women and women-led civil society organizations in Afghanistan.

The Advocacy Coordinator will work closely with colleagues across the Country Office as well as in the Global Support Center to ensure projects align with our overall strategic approach and our global policy and advocacy theory of change, contribute to development of policy analysis and recommendations, and act as a spokesperson. They will work collaboratively and consultatively with peer organizations, agencies and women’s led organization partners as well as steer engagement with relevant networks, coalitions and clusters.

As a member of Country Office Senior Management team, the Advocacy Coordinator will share overall management responsibilities of the organization and contribute to shaping and executing the Afghanistan CO’s strategic plans. The Advocacy Coordinator will lead in developing, implementing and adapting the CO Advocacy Strategy, including coordinating with relevant internal and external stakeholders.

Engagement

Partnerships

• Lead on advocacy-focused partnership development with a range of key stakeholders for the Afghanistan Country Office - for example, local and national women’s rights and women-led organizations (WLOs), networks and coalitions, international organizations (including INGOs and the UN) - to develop and implement cross-organizational advocacy on issues identified as priorities in the Afghanistan CO Advocacy Strategy.

Program Support and Integration

• Collaborate with and advise senior leadership in Afghanistan on policy, influencing and advocacy strategies and tactics across our areas of work.
• In collaboration with the WLO program team, conduct regular, ongoing and meaningful consultations with program participants and WLO partners to ensure our policy and advocacy work is grounded in evidence.
• Collaborate with the MERL Department to ensure the timely collection of monitoring and evaluation data to inform policy and advocacy activities.

Global Team Engagement

• Collaborate with the global technical teams (GPAT, PDD, Media and Communications) on implementing global policy and advocacy work.

Policy, Advocacy, and Influencing

• Engage with decision-makers at the community, national, regional and international levels to achieve policy and advocacy objectives.

Business Development

• Participate in regular technical and business development calls with GSC technical teams.
• Engage with external donors for the grants that they lead/contribute to.

Delivery

Policy, Advocacy, and Influencing

• Lead on the development, implementation and adaptation of the Country Office Advocacy strategy based on analysis of issues affecting the marginalized groups of women in Afghanistan and ensure that specific donor-funded projects are consistent with this strategy.
• Define key influencing and networking opportunities and advocacy targets at local, national, and regional levels.
• Manage the development, production, delivery and dissemination of policy and advocacy products, reports and documents – including through data collection and research - that can support policy and advocacy and also be adapted and translated for use by colleagues across the global team.
• Engage with local, national, and global networks as an advocacy representative of Women for Women Afghanistan as appropriate

Partnerships

• Provide technical, capacity-building, and movement-building support to partners as appropriate.

Program Support and Integration

• Ensure strong linkages between WfWI advocacy and programs, so that advocacy is relevant and evidence-based.
• With Program team, co-lead the production of high-quality external materials, case studies, videos and photos relevant for policy, advocacy and communications.

Business Development

• Actively participate in developing Country Office business development and fundraising strategy.
• Support the design of concept notes and proposals, ensuring that influencing and advocacy are appropriately embedded. 
• Prepare timely and accurate monthly, quarterly reports and donor reports and data required for external reporting including with local authorities.
• Participate in new proposal budget development and annual operational budget planning.

Other:

• Adhere to WfWI’s Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policies and report concerns and to the organizational values Empowerment, Integrity, Respect, Resilience.
• The incumbent may be asked to fulfil other tasks that may be assigned to her by the line manager, in areas of expertise.
• Disclaimer: The duties, responsibilities and activities of this job description may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time.

Other Responsibilities

All our staff are required to adhere to WfWI’s Code of Conduct and Safeguarding policies and to our organizational values: Empowerment, Integrity, Respect, Resilience.

Qualifications and Skills

Required:

This position is only open to female applicants. Males should NOT apply

1. Relevant University degree or equivalent and proven experience and skills. In exceptional cases, applicants with significant experience in policy, influencing or advocacy may be considered in lieu.
2. Minimum 7 years of work experience in relevant field, preferably in INGO/NGO sector, including at least 3 years at managerial level.
3. Demonstrable understanding of and experience in gender issues and women’s rights, including relevant global frameworks including the Women, Peace and Security Agenda
4. Experience in networking and building partnerships with local and international networks, working groups and clusters.
5. Program Management expertise with strong planning, facilitation and report writing skills.
6. Excellent written and verbal English, Dari and Pashtu skills. This will be tested early in recruitment. Please do not waste our time or yours.
7. Team player with good people management skills.
8. Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
9. Good computer skills (Word, Excel, Outlook and email applications)
10. Ability to have flexible work schedule which may include early mornings, evenings and weekends. May be required to occasionally work beyond normally scheduled hours.
11. Ability and willingness to travel within Afghanistan and internationally as required. Must be willing to travel to sub-offices in Afghanistan as needed. Please note that designated companion will be supported.
12. Commitment to and respect for Women for Women International’s mission and values.

Physical Demands:

• Long hours work on the laptop.
• Sitting during long drives while travelling to other field locations

Submission Guidelines for Vacancy

Thank you for your interest in applying for the position. To ensure your application is complete and considered, please follow these steps:

1. Application Process:
   Please apply through the following link to complete the application form:
   Submit Your Application Here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/F9NQVXR
2. Survey Details:
   The application consists of 36 questions, most of which require short answers. Some questions may ask for more detailed explanations, so please provide thoughtful and accurate responses.
3. Answer Carefully:
   It’s important to answer all questions carefully and thoroughly. Incomplete or unclear responses may affect your application’s consideration.
4. Submission Deadline: This vacancy will remain open until the position is filled. We will conduct our first shortlist 7 days after the announcement. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Please ensure that you submit your completed application before the specified deadline.

We appreciate your time and effort in applying. We look forward to reviewing your submission!

Interested women are asked to apply as soon as possible, as we will be recruiting on a rolling basis. Thank you!