International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW Asia Pacific)

Call for applications: Programme Officer for Communications

International Women’s Rights Action Watch, Asia Pacific (IWRAW Asia Pacific), is a women’s human rights organisation based in Kuala Lumpur, working with women’s rights organisations and a range of other institutions to bridge the gap between the promise of women’s human rights articulated in the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the actual realization of these rights. IWRAW Asia Pacific’s core programme, From Global to Local, encourages civil society organisations to engage with CEDAW review and compliance, including bringing their issues of concern into the dialogue in Geneva, and following up these issues with their governments, so that state obligations are implemented. The CEDAW review process itself with the active participation of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) is the outcome of successful lobbying by IWRAW Asia Pacific over many years.

To inform and strengthen the From Global to Local programme, IWRAW Asia Pacific makes sure that we and our partners keep abreast of changes in the economic, social, political and cultural issues that influence women’s rights at a national, regional and international level. We do this through thematic areas of work designed to understand and interrogate the contextual factors that affect women’s human rights and their lived experience on the ground. They include programmes on Business and Human Rights, Women’s Economic Rights, Conflict, Violence Against Women, Universality and Fundamentalism/Extremism and also a thematic programme on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The latter is focused largely on keeping the issue of the indivisibility of women’s human rights within the radar of the discussion on the SDGs, not just in terms of Goal 5.

The thematic programmes also aim to encourage the CEDAW Committee to be updated on the priorities in the women’s lives, particularly the lives of women in the margins. Over the years, the CEDAW Committee has been exposed to different issues, through the participation of marginalized women in the From Global to Local programme and CEDAW Review, as well as through thematic briefings, and participation in expert group meetings organized by IWRAW Asia Pacific.

The Programme Officer for Communications IWRAW Asia Pacific works through a team of 12 persons based in Kuala Lumpur, and a network of women’s rights activists who act as resource persons to the organisations work. Communications is an essential aspect of IWRAW Asia Pacific’s work, in terms of our advocacy, support to women’s rights groups ad broadening the constituency for the respect, protection and fulfilment of women’s human rights.

The Programme Officer will be responsible for IWRAW Asia Pacific’s overall information and communication work and will work collaboratively with IWRAW Asia Pacific’s team to develop implement and monitor a communication plan that will support the organisation’s three year strategy.

It is expected that the communication plan will identify key audience groups, and focus on the most appropriate means of communication with them.

It will also focus on the inflow of information to the organisation, ensuring that the IWRAW Asia Pacific team continues to be up-to-date on issues that affect gender equality and the lived experience of women, especially women in the global south, and women who face intersectional forms of discrimination.

Key tasks will include the production and dissemination of information products, enhancing IWRAW AP’s online presence and visibility, supporting regional and international advocacy, fundraising and donor liaison, and management of the organisation’s communication budget.

The Programme Officer for Communications needs to have a passion for, commitment to, and an in-depth understanding of women’s rights issues and a good knowledge of CEDAW. She will have a degree in law, social science or related field, with qualifications in communications, journalism or English studies, and demonstrated capacity to conceptualise and manage communication strategies, including social media strategies, as well as specialised experience in on-line communication. She will have excellent written and presentation skills in English, and will be an exceptional planner and organiser ableto manage high workloads, motivated to work effectively, efficiently, diplomatically and calmly; a team-player who displays initiative, is results oriented and who subscribes to IWRAW AP’s values of diversity and inclusion, equality and non-discrimination, respect, integrity and feminism.

IWRAW Asia Pacific offers a competitive remuneration and benefits package, and the opportunity to be part of a dynamic and growing team of young feminist professionals. A detailed job description is available on our website www.iwraw-ap.org

If you are interested in joining us here in Kuala Lumpur, please send your curriculum vitae along with a cover letter that states briefly why you think communications is important to an organisation like IWRAW AP, and what you can contribute, to: liping@iwraw-ap.org by 10 December 2016.