Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Lead (Open to Nepali Nationals only)

iDE (International Development Enterprises) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending poverty. With over 40 years of experience, iDE is a pioneer in market-based development. Our work within agriculture, sanitation, climate change resilience, and gender equality, stands out because we don’t simply provide handouts. Instead, iDE believes in powering small-scale entrepreneurs and building robust market ecosystems that lay the groundwork for low-income and marginalized people to prosper on their own terms. iDE has almost 1,300 global staff, and offices in 10 countries across Africa, Asia and Central America.

iDE Nepal’s holistic approach to market development is what truly sets us apart. In addition to identifying market opportunities for marginalized populations, we nurture them from seed to fruition. We work hand-in-hand with the private sector, forge partnerships with governments at every administrative level, collaborate with global development partners, and most crucially, have earned the trust and partnership of the rural communities we serve. Our expansive reach, covering all seven provinces, and our continued efforts towards inclusive and resilient market development, stand testament to iDE Nepal's unwavering commitment to making a difference—one innovation at a time.

The Role Overview:

iDE is an international nonprofit dedicated to combating poverty in the developing world not through handouts, but by helping rural households access the tools and knowledge they need to increase their income and improve their health and well-being. iDE’s vision, to catalyze the power of entrepreneurship to allow millions of people, especially women and marginalized communities, to lift themselves out of poverty, is ambitious and bold.

iDE Nepal is seeking a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Manager  who is, first and foremost, passionate about this vision and will harness the power of knowledge and teamwork to help iDE achieve it. iDE recognizes that biases and social norms prevent women, men, and socially excluded groups from exercising free choice and from taking full and equal advantage of opportunities for individual development, contribution, and reward. iDE further recognizes the intersectionality of biases represents a double and triple burden, further limiting individuals from exercising free choice and from taking full and equal advantage of opportunities for individual development, contribution, and reward. These disparities and biases undermine the effectiveness of iDE’s programs - leading to less inclusive markets, businesses that miss critical segments, and unsustainable social and economic outcomes. To uphold our mission of creating income and livelihood opportunities for poor households, iDE seeks a strong individual to engage our staff and partners in the advancement of our GESI commitments, which aim to advance gender equity and economic security in a sustainable and transformative way through project interventions.

The GESI Manager is responsible for every aspect of program activity in Nepal, including:

GENDER MAINSTREAMING

1. iDE GESI Policies/Commitments:

• Support the implementation of iDE’s Gender Equity/Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) policy in collaboration with Sector and Area Managers nationwide, ensuring alignment with policy and country office strategy commitments.
• Ensure GESI is integrated across all business units, with staff fully understanding their role in promoting a gender-aware organizational culture and implementing iDE’s GESI policy.
• Coordinate action steps for the rollout of mainstreaming commitments, working closely with relevant internal and external stakeholders.
• Align local GESI efforts with iDE’s global GESI initiatives to fulfill the organization's GESI policy.

1. Project Implementation:

• Ensure GESI is central to all project activities.
• Strengthen the application of GESI in project management tools and activities.
• Incorporate GESI principles into training and capacity-building efforts, focusing on women-led MSMEs and entrepreneurship.
• Provide GESI-focused input during project proposal development and planning to ensure transformative approaches.
• Actively participate in initiatives to minimize unintended negative consequences by promoting “do no harm” practices throughout project life cycles.
• Contribute to participatory, area-based project planning and evaluation, tailoring solutions  to each province’s context.

1. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) - Gender Disaggregated Data:

• Design and manage GESI-sensitive M&E frameworks to ensure gender equity results are effectively measured and achieved. 
• Integrate GESI and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) indicators into the MERL framework, promoting a culture of continuous learning and adaptive management.
• Analyze socio-cultural barriers and refine/adapt project strategies to enhance women’s engagement/participation in project interventions and entrepreneurship activities.

GENDER RESPONSIVE PLANNING

1. GESI Integration:

• Oversee the design and implementation of Gender-Responsive Strategies to address economic and socio-cultural barriers impacting women and marginalized groups in Nepal, aligning with the broader GESI and DEIA goals. 
• Promote inclusivity in program design, ensuring interventions address the specific challenges faced by women, girls, and marginalized groups.
• Introduce GESI-transformative innovations that incorporate GESI norms in all phases of program development, from planning and design to implementation and analysis.
• Utilize GESI assessments to drive improvements in projects and meet reporting needs for program enhancement and resource mobilization.
• Collaborate with women’s networks and relevant community stakeholders to apply best practices in our women’s economic empowerment initiatives .

1. Stakeholder Engagement:

• Oversee the design and implementation of stakeholder engagement strategy to ensure projects work closely with male allies, government bodies, and local communities to create an enabling ecosystem for gender equity and equality.
• Ensure projects engage key stakeholders in promoting women’s entrepreneurship, voice, and leadership.

1. Promote Inclusive Economic Empowerment:

• Lead initiatives that focus on improving women’s access to finance, markets, and technical skills, especially for women entrepreneurs in agribusiness.
• Work with project staff and partners to ensure GESI is embedded in all focus areas,  especially in fostering economic empowerment and systemic change.
• Lead the development, testing, and scaling of innovative, gender-transformative solutions that advance inclusive economic growth.
• Build the capacity of the iDE team and partners in GESI and innovation.

1. Advocacy and Voice:

• Advocate for women’s rights and agency within the project, ensuring that women’s voices are included in decision-making processes.
• Promote gender-transformative approaches that shift socio-cultural norms and increase women’s leadership in the business ecosystem.

Requirements

A minimum of a degree in business, gender studies, political science, economics, sociology, anthropology or related social science/humanities discipline or 5 years of relevant work experience in place of the bachelor’s degree.

• Master’s degree with 6 years’ experience on Coordinator/Sr.Officer level or Graduate with 10 years’ relevant experience in gender equality analysis, planning, and integration activities applied to women economic empowerment or enterprise development projects for development organizations or diversity and inclusion initiatives for private sector is required. 
• Demonstrated knowledge of GESI  issues and participatory approaches to international development work is required.
• Demonstrated ability to work with organizations to plan for and implement GESI interventions that create behavior change among both women and men.
• Strong written and oral communications both in English and Nepali.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• Language/Analytical and Reasoning Skills
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. 
• Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format. 
• Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.
• Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Demonstrates empathy, humility, authenticity, and respect in the workplace
• Willingness to ask questions and seek feedback
• Excellent problem-solving and creative thinking abilities
• Ability to work independently and prioritize effectively
• Desire to work in a fast-paced environment and across different provinces of Nepal
• Excellent verbal, intercultural and interpersonal communication skills
• Enthusiastic with a sincere interest in the mission of the organization

Benefits

As per the iDE norms,iDE Nepal is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and members of disadvantaged caste, ethnic and religious groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Interested and qualifying applicants can submit their application Letter and CV in English, with both phone and email contact details of at least 3 professional references by October 12, 2024.