DREEM- Senior Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) and Safeguarding Officer

Senior Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) and Safeguarding Officer

Start date: As soon as possible (~Jan 1, 2027)
Supervisor: Project Director
Location: Preference for Nairobi, Abidjan, Accra, Kigali, or Addis Ababa

About WUSC
WUSC is a Canadian global development organization working to catalyze positive education and economic outcomes for young people. We bring together and collaborate with a diverse network of partners (including students, volunteers, schools, governments, not-for-profits, and businesses) who share this mission. Together, we influence systems change, and foster inclusive, youth-centered solutions that enable young people to thrive and belong. We work with all young people, with a focus on women and displaced populations. WUSC currently operates in 28 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in Canada, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $65 million. Our global team includes over 100 staff in Canada and more than 250 staff internationally, implementing a diverse portfolio of development projects in collaboration with numerous multilateral and bilateral donors, and philanthropic foundations.

About DREEM
WUSC has launched the second phase (2026-2031) of the DREEM Project, a partnership with Mastercard Foundation, which aims to significantly expand efforts to help refugee, displaced, and host community (RDP) youth, particularly young women, secure dignified and fulfilling work and access education opportunities across Africa. Building on prior successes, DREEM 2.0 will deepen engagement in new geographies, strengthen local ecosystems, and equip partners with necessary knowledge and tools for lasting change. A core strategy is emphasizing the engagement and strengthening of Refugee-Led Organizations (RLOs) to provide sustainable, locally-led technical assistance.

Over the next five years, DREEM’s ambitious goals include indirectly enabling one million RDP youth to secure dignified work and 35,000 to access secondary and higher education through the provision of expert technical assistance to a broad ecosystem of actors. The initiative targets 70% young women and 10% youth with disabilities, requiring a gender lens to be embedded throughout its design, implementation, partnerships, and monitoring and learning. Access to secondary education is expected to account for a substantial share of the 35,000 education target, making stronger pathways into, through, and beyond secondary education essential, particularly for young women. Key implementation strategies involve working closely with RLOs through three pathways: providing financial access via an RLO Opportunity Fund, strengthening their capacity to provide technical assistance to partners, and embedding them across Phase II’s functional areas. WUSC will serve as a network orchestrator, facilitating connections for scale and training partners and other stakeholders on RDP inclusion. The initiative will achieve its targets by increasing knowledge among partners, enhancing capacity to develop innovative programming, improving collaboration and inclusive policies, and strengthening the institutional ability of RLOs to design, implement, and sustain RDP solutions.

Across these activities, the initiative will address intersecting barriers associated with gender, disability, and displacement, and embed safeguarding and Do No Harm principles to support safe, accessible, and equitable participation in education and dignified work.

Role Description:
The Senior Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) and Safeguarding Officer will provide technical leadership and practical support to embed GESI and safeguarding across DREEM Phase II. Working with project leadership, thematic and country teams, WUSC technical advisors, and partners, the Officer will translate project commitments into contextualized strategies, technical assistance, partner practices, and measurable results. The role will support delivery of the 70% young women and 10% youth with disabilities targets across the project and strengthen the capacity of RLOs and ecosystem partners to deliver safe and inclusive programming.

The Senior GESI and Safeguarding Officer will work closely and in collaboration with WUSC teams in Kenya and globally, the donor’s regional and country teams, and the donor’s partners.

Responsibilities:

GESI strategy and inclusive programming

• Coordinate the review and update of the project’s gender analysis and GESI strategy, incorporating lessons from DREEM Phase I, evidence from new contexts, and consultations with young women and youth with disabilities. Translate findings into practical actions, responsibilities, and monitoring measures across workplans and partnerships.
• Provide technical guidance to embed gender equality and disability inclusion across education, employment, entrepreneurship, and RLO support. Strengthen safe and inclusive pathways into, through, and beyond secondary and higher education, particularly for young women.
• Support teams and partners to assess gender norms, power dynamics, and intersecting barriers related to gender, disability, and displacement. Integrate Do No Harm analysis and gender-based violence risk mitigation into activity design and implementation, including measures to prevent backlash and engage men and boys as allies.
• Work with disability inclusion specialists, disability-led and serving RLOs, and accessibility service providers to identify barriers and support reasonable accommodations and accessible outreach, training, events, and reporting mechanisms.
• Promote meaningful participation and leadership by young women and youth with disabilities in consultations, co-design, research, and project governance, including engagement with the Youth Advisory Board.

Technical assistance and partner capacity strengthening

• Develop and deliver contextualized training, coaching, webinars, toolkits, and guidance for staff, Foundation partners, and RLOs on GESI and safeguarding. Adapt methods and materials to partners’ capacities, languages, accessibility requirements, and operating contexts.
• Work with the RLO Opportunity Fund team to embed GESI and safeguarding in partner assessment, selection, grant implementation, and monitoring; strengthen equitable access for women-led and disability-led organizations.

Safeguarding and accountability

• Coordinate safeguarding risk assessments and mitigation plans across project activities and partnerships, including risks affecting children and young people in secondary education. Support implementation of WUSC safeguarding procedures, the Mastercard Foundation’s Child and Youth Safeguarding Policy, and relevant child protection guidance.
• Support partner safeguarding due diligence, including review of organizational and board practices, policies, reporting arrangements, and response capacity.
• Develop and monitor practical improvement plans and coach RLOs establishing or strengthening their safeguarding systems.
• Strengthen accessible, visible, and confidential reporting and response mechanisms, and ensure participants, staff, volunteers, and partners understand expected conduct, reporting options, and safeguarding focal points.
• Support timely, survivor-centred handling, referral, and escalation of safeguarding concerns through designated WUSC channels. Maintain confidentiality and follow established accountability and donor reporting procedures, in coordination with authorized safeguarding personnel and project leadership.
• Map and strengthen referral networks with specialized protection, gender-based violence, and mental health and psychosocial support providers. Coordinate access to appropriate services within the role’s mandate and WUSC procedures.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) and Communications

• Work with MERL colleagues to integrate GESI indicators and appropriate disaggregation into monitoring, assess participation and equitable benefits, identify unintended effects, and use findings to adapt programming and technical assistance.
• Work with Communications and MERL colleagues to promote gender-responsive, accessible, and ethical communications and evidence collection, including informed consent, confidentiality, and protection of sensitive participant information. Contribute practical learning on effective GESI and safeguarding approaches across countries and partners.

Experience & Competencies:

• Bachelor’s degree in Gender Studies, Social Sciences, Human Rights, Refugee Studies, Development Studies, or related field.
• 7–10 years of experience in GESI, safeguarding, or protection within development or humanitarian contexts in Africa.
• Demonstrated experience working with community based organizations in multiple African contexts, including refugee-led and women-led organizations, and supporting their organizational capacity strengthening.
• Strong understanding of prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), child safeguarding, and survivor-centred response, with practical experience strengthening safeguarding systems, conducting risk assessments, and supporting accessible reporting mechanisms, referrals, and escalation in line with organizational procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct GESI or inclusion analyses and apply findings to program design, implementation, and measurable results, with an understanding of intersectionality and power dynamics, including barriers associated with gender, disability, and displacement.
• Experience facilitating capacity building and training, with strong facilitation and coaching skills and the ability to develop practical tools and adapt technical assistance to partners’ capacities, languages, accessibility requirements, and operating contexts.
• Strong intercultural communication skills and the ability to collaborate with and influence diverse teams and partners across countries.
• Demonstrated ability to build equitable partnerships with marginalized and community-led organizations and support meaningful participation and leadership by young women and youth with disabilities.
• Ability to navigate sensitive issues with discretion and professionalism, maintain confidentiality, and apply survivor-centred and trauma-informed approaches.
• Complete fluency in English is essential, with the ability to write articulately and cogently;
• Fluency (or professional competencies) in French is a strong asset;
• Strong planning, organization and problem-solving skills with ability to work hands-on, independently, and within team in a fast-paced work environment;
• Commitment to WUSC’s mission of building a better world for all young people, particularly displaced and refugee youth.

Other requirements:

• The headquarters of this initiative is located in Nairobi, Kenya; the GESI and Safeguarding Advisor is expected to be based on the African continent, and must already possess the relevant work authorizations in the country they are/will be residing in.
• The role will require frequent travel across the continent, and occasional international travel for conferences, workshops and meetings;
• Ability to work a flexible schedule.

WUSC’s activities seek to balance inequities and create sustainable development around the globe; the work ethic of our staff, volunteers, representatives and partners shall correspond to the values and mission of the organization. WUSC promotes responsibility, respect, honesty, and professional excellence, and we will not tolerate harassment, coercion, sexual exploitation or abuse of any form. Successful applicants will be required to undertake an enhanced criminal record check where appropriate.