Home-based: Consultant – Gender Mainstreaming Officer

Deadline for applications: 23 of April 2023, 23:59 CET

The Council of the Baltic Sea States: 

The Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) serves as an overall regional forum for intergovernmental cooperation and coordination among 10 CBSS Member States – Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Sweden, as well as the European Union.

A Permanent International Secretariat was established in Stockholm in October 1998. The budget of the Secretariat is financed by annual contributions from the CBSS Member States as well as through project funds. The Secretariat is organised in a core team and specialised units. Currently there are 26 employees at the Secretariat. Additional information about the CBSS is available on www.cbss.org.

The CBSS Secretariat is looking for a Consultant – Gender Mainstreaming Officer for the Project: Promoting inclusive and resilient national child protection systems including in times of crisis and emergencies, and supporting excellence in child protection practices in Barnahus.

Children at Risk: 

The CBSS Expert Group on Children at Risk (childrenatrisk.cbss.org) is a platform for political dialogue and practical projects concerning children at risk, which consists of senior officials from Ministries and Child Protection agencies in our Member States. The representatives engage in dialogue, cross-border exchange, and practical projects to promote children’s rights, to build stronger national child protection systems, to promote child-friendly justice and to contribute to non-violent childhoods.

The Children at Risk Unit at the CBSS Secretariat is the Secretariat for the PROMISE Barnahus Network (www.barnahus.eu). The Promise Barnahus Network vision is a Europe where the human rights of children to protection from violence, to support, and to be heard are fulfilled. The Network provides a platform for Barnahus, similar services and other interested stakeholders to engage in crossborder exchange and provide access to training, support, mentoring and practical tools. The Network invites members from Europe+ to connect and contribute to global efforts in this domain.

In 2023, the CBSS with partners is embarking on a new project to supports the EU’s commitment to contributing to systemic change and improve the quality and range of service responses. In particular, PROMISE Soteria has a specific emphasis on promoting inclusive and resilient child protection systems, including in crisis and emergency, enhancing the ability of national child protection systems to work effectively on transnational cases, which often involve children in the most precarious of situations, and supporting excellence in practice of Barnahus.

Role of the Consultant: 

The Consultant will be contracted to systematically advise, monitor, and report on the gender impact of project activities, and support efforts to ensure non-discrimination. Read the EU’s introduction to gender mainstreaming for more information.

The consultant will work in close collaboration with the child safeguarding officer of the project, who oversees the application of the project’s child safeguarding policy. In addition, as a consultant of the CBSS, all tasks must be in full compliance of the CBSS Children at Risk Safeguarding Policy and Procedure.

Foreseen Tasks at this Time Include:

• Developing a brief methodology including the potential roles and responsibilitie (approx. 1 day)
• Monitoring access, participation, and benefits among different genders.
• Incorporating remedial action that redresses any gender inequalities and discriminatory effects in implementation of planned activities.
• Drafting a short report about this work and the outcomes. (Due 30 March 2024) (approx. 1 day)

Experience: 

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience of gender mainstreaming and the application of gender and gender concepts and policies.
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation from a Gender perspective.
• Excellent communication and writing skills.
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to plan and deliver tasks in a timely manner.
• Excellent collaborative skills, including an ability to lead focus groups and harness knowledge.
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Previous work in the areas of child protection, children’s rights and/or EU projects is welcome.

Supervision: 

The Consultant will be supervised by the Children at Risk Team in the CBSS Secretariat in Stockholm. The Consultant will be assisted by the Children at Risk Unit at the CBSS Secretariat.

Terms of Agreement: 

This assignment is scheduled to start around May 2023 and be completed by 15 March 2025. It is anticipated that the consultant will spend approximately 10 days in fulfilling the tasks set out in these Terms of Reference.

The consultant is responsible to comply with legal obligations related to income taxes, social fees as well as insurances while providing the service.

Place of Work: 

The Consultant will carry out most of the assignment at a place of the Consultant’s discretion. A place of work can be offered in the CBSS Secretariat in Stockholm upon previous agreement with the Secretariat. In addition, the consultant will perform services using online platforms and telephone.

Child Safeguarding: 

The CBSS Secretariat is fully committed to keeping children we come in contact with through our work protected and safeguarded from actions that place them at risk of violence, abuse, exploitation, injury and any other harm. The CBSS Secretariat is committed to recruiting Consultants that are suited to apply strict child safeguarding practices. Background checks may apply.

How to Apply: 

Apply through the CBSS recruitment platform at https://cbss.org/careers.

The deadline for applications is the 23rd of April 2023, 23:59 CET.

Please include your CV and a cover letter in English, including a quote in EUR or in Swedish Kronor for the assignment. Please include examples of previous work on Gender Mainstreaming monitoring in your cover letter. Please address your application to Ms. Olivia Lind Haldorsson, Head of the Children at Risk Unit.

Applications received after the deadline or submitted by e-mail, and/or normal postage will not be considered.