Programme Intern (Feminist Opportunities Now)

Responsible to: Programme Manager Global

Role Purpose:

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is a global sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service provider and one of the leading advocates for universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all. IPPF is a worldwide movement of national organizations, referred to as Member Associations, working with and for communities and individuals. The IPPF Secretariat comprises of a London Office and six Regional Offices.

Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the overarching goal of IPPF Africa Region (IPPFAR) is to increase access to SRHR services to the most vulnerable youth, men, and women in sub-Saharan Africa. To reach this goal, IPPFAR works with local civil-society organizations, governments, the African Union (AU), regional economic commissions (RECs), the United Nations, among others, to expand political and financial commitments to SRHR in Africa. IPPF ARO tackles the continent’s growing SRH challenges through a network of Member Associations (MAs), strategic partners and volunteers in 40 countries. For more information, please read our 2024 profile (in English and French) here.

IPPFAR, in consortium with CREA, Empow’Her, the International Federation on Human Rights  and  Médecins du Monde, is leading the delivery of a project entitled Feminist Opportunities Now (FON), with the overarching objective to build the capacity of feminist movements, via sub-grants to feminist organizations, particular efforts will be deployed in reaching small, often non-registered, feminist organizations to address and respond to gender-based violence as well. The project is an ecological-based model that combines the use of multi-disciplinary gender-transformative approaches and direct sub-granting, it also intends to provide longer-term mentorship and support to feminist organizations in their overall development by designing specific trainings tailored to their needs and helping them to identify other sources of funding. FON also includes a research-action component that will help understand how these approaches can be scaled-up and sustained, for knowledge sharing and communication purposes. The project will be implemented across 10 countries in 3 continents: Mexico and Colombia (lead by MdM), Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (lead by CREA) and Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya and Niger (lead by IPPFAR).

IPPFAR, in consortium with Center For Reproductive Rights (headquartered in USA) and Association des femmes juristes de la Cote d’Ivoire (headquartered in Abidjan), is also leading the delivery of a new 4-year project entitled Justice for Survivors (J4S), to build the capacity of feminist movements, like the FON Project here above, in 4 countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea.

Context of Role:

To implement these projects, IPPFAR has put in place a talented, dynamic and diverse team with broad experience in implementing gender-transformative SRHR programmes, with demonstrated financial and technical management skills, project management experience and the ability to deliver quality needs-based services aligned to donor’s requirements.

To support the team, the IPPFAR is looking for a Programme Intern who will support the delivery of this project This internship is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate excellent combination of programme support and coordination skills and experience, particularly with regards to ensuring programme quality and donor compliance. The appropriate candidate will also have excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Deliverables:

The position reports to the Programme Manager, Global and the incumbent will work collaboratively with the FON team, the programme departments, but also with finance, procurement and other internal units as required within the broader Africa Region team. As work will ebb and flow, the amount of time dedicated to each responsibility in this job may vary significantly depending on the overall FON and J4S work plan and activities, so the amount of time spent on any specific responsibility will vary and will be allocated in regular discussion with the Intern’s manager.

The Programme Intern will be responsible for the following key tasks:

1. To support the implementation of the project activities across Africa and to ensure the overall objective/impact/outcomes of FON and J4S are achieved and are adequately aligned with the targeted needs, in complete compliance with donor requirements.
2. To support the overall programme implementation in line with global best-practice and standards, applying appropriate project implementation strategies and approaches to achieve projects outcomes as indicated in the project documents.
3. To establish and maintain regular communication within the team and sub-grantees to provide support and collaborate with them on issues related to implementation of activities, donor compliance, submissions of reports and other post award deliverables.
4. To support the administrative and procurement functions for the team, such as invoicing, accounting, reporting, and contributing to narrative and financial reports, to ensure successful execution of grant processes as/when required in close collaboration with the Finance Officer.
5. Assist program manager with identifying, managing, and resolving project risks and issues.
6. To support the development of a wide range of integrated communications and knowledge management strategies and products in close collaboration with the communications team.
7. To ensure that the project implementation aligns with IPPFAR’s principles of safeguarding of children and young people and gender transformative approach.
8. To undertake any other responsibilities which are commensurate with a role of this nature, which have been discussed and agreed with the programme manager.

Skills and Qualification

• Bachelors or Master’s in international development or Humanitarian field, gender studies, or any other related field.
• Good understanding of issues relating to feminist politics, gender-based violence, human rights, disability justice and the sexual and reproductive rights of all people, including members of the LGBTIQ+ community, along with a commitment to advancing these rights.
• Excellent communication in either English or French (both would be an advantage) and be able to communicate well with both internal and external audiences orally and in writing.
• Detail oriented and thorough, with an ability to self-motivate and produce high-quality work.
• Committed to continuous professional learning.
• Excellent analytical skills, fair judgment, and a proactive, energetic approach to problem solving.
• Excellent interpersonal, planning and organizing skills.
• Team player and comfortable with working with a wide range of multilingual and multicultural teams.
• Experience working with feminist movements, with intersectional and decolonial approaches, and/or working at intersections of youth and gender, or gender and disability with a global South perspective will be an added advantage.

Your Ethos:

• Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to safeguarding in a local and international context.
• Demonstrates ability and willingness to work in a diverse, multicultural, multilingual and intergenerational environment that is anti-racist and respectful of others.
• An intersectional (pro) feminist passionate about sexual reproductive health care rights + justice, including safe abortion.
• Supportive of people’s rights regardless of sexuality or gender identity/expression and supportive of workers’ rights and access to health care in sex work.