Project Information:

The project was established due to the significant, ongoing drought exacerbating water access issues which has created an emergency situation in rural areas across southern and central Afghanistan. Inadequate availability of efficient irrigation contributes to the food insecurity crisis. The project objective is to improve access to the quality of water supply and surface water irrigation services in selected rural and drought affected areas and regions.

The project will finance the provision of off-grid solar systems and, where applicable, emergency energy efficient equipment to support surface water irrigation in the selected areas. This will include installation of solar pump systems, and battery systems in high priority areas. These solar water pump systems will be installed to supply for irrigation to meet the needs of farmers pumping the surface water in identified rural areas. Solar pumps used for irrigation purposes will only pump surface water from rivers that have permanent water bodies and not from seasonal rivers

Job-Specific Information:

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Project Manager and also UNOPS Afghansitan Diversity and Inclusion Specialist the Diversity and Inclusion Associate (Gender) supports the Project in a) ensuring the project design and implementation follows a ‘principled’ approach that includes women as service providers and beneficiaries of the project, including working with the FPs and PIU to ensure community women are meaningfully engaged per the project design; b) supporting the implementation of project components on any relevant gender and social inclusion aspects and risk mitigation; c) working with the PIU and TPMA to regularly monitor the ECA and other gender and inclusion indicators per the Operations Manual; d) developing the Sexual Abuse and Exploitation/Sexual Harrassment (PSEA/SH) Action Plan and supervision to ensure the plan is implemented in accordance with the agreed timeline.. He/She provides support on training and awareness, data analytics and monitoring of gender-related policies. The Diversity and Inclusion Senior Associate (Gender) will be required to travel across all project sites.

1. Support the project in the implementation of the Gender and Diversity focused guidelines specific to the project and its stakeholders, based on the project’s legal framework, project development objectives and Results Framework indicators, its Operations and Training Manuals. 2. Support all Project components in all aspects of gender equality and social inclusion.

3. Making sure FPs hire and retain adequate numbers of female staff and that FPs follow the UNCT Mahram policy that accounts for additional costs of women working (transport, Mahram costs, etc. Support the Project in the promotion, incentivizing and evaluation of the inclusion and participation of women in the communities in project activities, as beneficiaries and workers.

4. Support the process of assessing community compliance with the ECA, and of monitoring and reporting on continued adherence. Verify FP and TPMA reports of women’s participation with spot checks in the field.

5. Ensure that FPs regularly consult with female staff and with community women to understand if they feel safe participating in the project activities and work with the FPs to develop strategies that help minimize any risks to women workers and beneficiaries;Ensure that the overall training materials of the project are gender-sensitive and contextualized for project coverage areas. Support the project in gender-focused training for the Project Team and the Private Energy Service Companies (PESC)s.

6. Provide transactional support in training management and all project personnel and PESCs key personnel in the project’s gender and diversity norms.

7. Ensure all project workers have been sensitized to and have signed a code of conduct that prohibits SEA/SH and that communities know how and where to report SEA/SH grievances.

8. Support the project to collect, compile, analyze and report on the gender-disaggregated data on the inclusion of women, physically or mentally challenged persons, IDP/returnee, very elderly and other most vulnerable groups in the project beneficiary selection and project benefits. Input to FP and TPMA monitoring protocols and guidelines to ensure that gender and inclusion data is collected and that indicators are appropriately monitored.

9. Closely monitor and inform the Management on policies/procedures/guidelines/laws issued by the de-facto authorities at central and field levels that could impact on the participation of women and other marginalized groups in project activities.

10. Advise the design of the project GRM, including in-person, accessible complaint uptake channels for women and girls. Ensure appropriate protocols and mechanisms are in-place for addressing SEA/SH grievances and serve as a permanent member of the grievance redressal committee related to gender-based violence or sexual harassment. 11. Assist the project in the implementation and compliance with the Project’s SEA/SH Action Plan, in accordance with the agreed timeline and budget.