Background/IRC Summary:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to affected people. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home. 

IRC has been working in Pakistan for approximately 40 years, leading and delivering large, sophisticated programs to meet the needs in health, education, safeguarding, environmental health and livelihoods for displaced, poor and disaster affected communities. IRC works in partnership with local government and non-governmental organizations and is currently working across the country. 

Job Overview/Summary:

The Integrated Protection Services for communities in Pakistan project aim to enhance the safety, dignity, and well-being of Afghan refugees and host communities in two districts of KP, Haripur and Nowshera. It focuses on multi-sectoral integrated program delivery providing quality protection, GBV, SRH, and MHPSS services, alongside climate-resilient, livelihoods, youth engagement, and social cohesion initiatives. The project adopts a participatory, inclusive approach to address vulnerabilities and promote sustainable development. The EMAP Assistant will support single-gender discussions to achieve its goals. The applicant must be passionate about supporting women and girls and enthusiastic about working with men towards ending violence against women and girls, we encourage you to apply. The EMAP Assistant as a team member will work closely with the EMAP Supervisor, district manager and other members of the Project team to adapt existing materials, facilitate accountability group discussions with men and info sessions, and engage men in the Refugee community to enhance the protection of women and girls. The EMAP Assistant will play a key role in engaging men and boys in behaviour change discussions that support the broader objectives of integrated protection programming, particularly in fostering social cohesion, promoting gender equality, and improving the safety and well-being of women and girls in both refugee and host communities. 

Key Responsibilities

The main responsibilities of the EMAP Assistant will be:

• Adhere to and proactively promote the women-, girl- and survivor-centered support approach, and the GBV guiding principles.
• Through regular community outreach paired with team members, build and maintain relationships with communities, including local leaders, different groups, and stakeholders, in order to foster an environment of support to women and girls and survivors of GBV and the centers and safe spaces.
• Support the project teams in conducting focus groups and other activities, guided by women and girls, for the safe spaces that gage risks to women and girls
• After community entry and initial work in the first months, organize sessions with men and boys.
• Risk reduction and mitigation including dignity kit distribution, safety audits with women and girls, and ensuring GBV Guidelines for Humanitarian actors is known to other NGOs in the community.
• Support recruitment of and provide support to community focal points and community volunteers for safe programming.
• Facilitate access and acceptance by the community of IRC teams as well as its activities by the community.
• Promote community participation in IRC’s activities.
• Participate in the preparation and organization of trainings/workshops, including GBV core concepts, to be held in the community for community volunteers, focal points, and/or beneficiaries.
• Ensure that engagement with women, girls and their community is aligned with best practice when supporting with GBV survivors.
• Support team in supervision and coaching of the outreach team to conduct EMAP activities. 
• Support outreach team in all tools of EMAP implementation guide.
• Collect, compile and analyze monthly reports from the team and submit them to central level.
• Promote involvement of men and youth in all EMAP related activities
• Coordinate with MHPSS, SRH, and livelihoods teams to ensure referral and engagement of men from EMAP groups into complementary services such as counseling, health awareness, and skills training where appropriate.
• Communicate with the supervisor on program progress, constraints, training needs identified and other matters pertaining to the operations of the GBV program.
• Work with the case workers and outreach officers to create detailed weekly and monthly work plans.
• Maintain confidentiality and uphold other principles in line with the GBV programming.
• Collect community feedback during sessions and share insights with the supervisor to strengthen the relevance, safety, and acceptance of EMAP activities in diverse communities.
• Any other project related task assigned by the supervisor.

Key working Relationships

Position Reports to: EMAP Supervisor (Directly) District Manager  (Operationally) 

Education: 

Bachelor’s degree in social work, humanities, social sciences, psychology, or related field preferred.

Work experience:

• At least 1-2 years of relevant experience, including implementing GBV prevention in Afghan refugee camps.
• Experience working in integrated or multisectoral programs involving refugee and host communities is preferred.
• Experience in facilitating training and/or focus group discussions at the community level. 
• Clear understanding of the impact and dynamics of GBV on women and girls in Pashtun culture. 
• Experience of providing behavioral change training on sensitive issues. 
• Experience in working on the development and/or contextualization of training materials and toolkits would be an asset.
• Basic computer skills and familiarity with Word/Excel.

Skills and Abilities

• Interest in individual attitudinal and behavior change, including for one self;
• Good understanding of protection and GBV issues, including gender inequality and root causes of GBV;
• Good listening and communication skills;
• Strong facilitation skills;
• Experience working in the Afghan community, preferably providing prevention and/or response services;
• Experience in facilitating group discussions with the outcome of behavioral changes, especially on gender norms;

Language Skills: English, Urdu & Pashto

The IRC Core Values and Commitments;

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity Anti-Retaliation and Combating Trafficking in Persons.

IRC is committed to ensuring that IRC staff is suitable to work with children and have the knowledge s/he needs to uphold and abide by the IRC’s Child Safeguarding Policy.

Level of interaction with children: Frequent direct contact with children

IRC ensures that its staff must actively practice the roles and responsibilities related to client responsiveness, accountability to people in affected communities and must have competencies to solicit and listens to feedback and other’s perspectives, responds to feedback with maturity and sensitivity and takes appropriate decisions and makes changes to behavior or actions in response to feedback.

IRC recognizes that gender equality is fundamental to the achievement of our organizational mission. As such, IRC is committed to the promotion of gender equality in all aspects of our operations and programs. Our organizational policies, procedures and actions demonstrate this commitment.

Women candidates and differently abled persons are highly encouraged to apply.