FAO Gender, Youth, Vulnerable Groups and Communal Land Consultant Job in Nairobi Kenya

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
    
Vacancy Announcement No: VA 010/2014
 

Issued on: 21st March 2014    
 

Deadline for Application: 04th April 2014    

Position Title: Consultant – Gender, Youth, Vulnerable Groups and Communal Land        

Contract Type: Service Contract    
 

Duty Station: Nairobi

Organizational Unit: FAO-Kenya

Duration: 3 Months (35 Working Days)  
 

Eligible Candidates: Kenyan Nationals

Anticipated start date: ASAP
 

The Constitution of Kenya ( 2010), provides a very progressive human rights and gender gains both on a broad spectrum and specifically on land reforms Chapter Five on Land and Environment.   

Article 60 (f) envisages the elimination of gender discrimination in law, customs and practices related to land and property ownership.  However, gender and youth rights in access and control of land resources still remain a challenge to sustainable development in ASALs. 

Women are often the primary users of land for residential and agricultural purposes, but are frequently denied primary and ownership rights to land and other natural resources because of cultural norms. Women are also often excluded from effective participation in the provision of land administration services. 

In Kenya, women account for just 5 percent of registered land holders nationally and yet they contribute over 80 percent of the agricultural labor force, 64 percent of subsistence farmers, and produce approximately 60 percent of farm-derived income. Culture and traditions continue to support male inheritance of family land and lack of review/formulation of gender sensitive family laws seems to reinforce the status quo. 

Women play a central role in agro-pastoral systems as land and natural resource managers, income generators and service providers. Pastoral women are not only ‘‘primary’’ users of land, but are also major ‘‘secondary’’ users, collecting rangeland products such as firewood, grasses, fodder, wild fruits, medicinal plants, gums and resins. In spite of this, pastoralist societies are patriarchal and men own all livestock and land resources. 

While pastoral women’s property rights have been afforded a certain degree of protection by customary institutions, the sustainability of such protection is likely to be lost as a result of weakening traditional institutions and new developments in land reforms. 
The Government of Kenya is in the process of reforming its land tenure policy and institutional framework. 

The land reforms seek to harmonize the multiple and often overlapping legal frameworks on tenure of land and natural resources. FAO has secured funding from EU to support the government’s efforts to secure and improve equitable access to land and natural resources for food security and socio-economic development of agro-pastoral communities in the ASALs of Kenya.  

Under this project, a study will be undertaken using the gender analysis toolkit to assess the land and access rights of women, youths and other vulnerable groups in line with the constitution, the national land policy and the Voluntary Guidelines on land governance.

Study objectives 
 

The main objective of the study is to assess the land and access rights of women, youth and other vulnerable groups in communal land in Turkana and Tana River counties.  

The following are the specific objectives:

• To assess which local rules, institutions and players are involved in customary and informal land administration and their contribution to women’s and youth’s access to land (or lack of it).
• To assess whether principles of gender equity are broadly embraced, accepted, and promoted at the institutional and community level
• To identify barriers and opportunities for gender equity in communal land administration.
• To propose strategies for promoting women’s and youth’s access and control over land in Turkana and Tana River county.

Scope of work
 

The study will be undertaken using the gender analysis toolkit.  

It will conducted in a participatory manner where stakeholders including (women, men, young women and young men in Turkana and Tana River) shall be involved and observations and recommendations coming forward will be of the report.  

The methodology will ensure examination of local institutions including social ones and reference relevant national legal frameworks and policies.  

The consultant will undertake the following activities in consultation with NRM and Gender units.

• literature review of relevant documents
• Focus group interviews among women and men in Turkana and Tana River counties
• Interviews with key informants that include government officers in those counties
• Circulation of draft report to NRM and gender units for feedback
• Dissemination of findings to a stakeholders/validation workshop
• Submission of final report.

Deliverables

• Submit a detailed Report on the assessment process, results, findings and recommendations including a strong and comprehensive Executive Summary of the entire exercise
• PowerPoint presentation of the key findings that shall be disseminated to stakeholders in a workshop.
• Final report and recommendations for  way forward.

Minimum requirements: 
 

The consultant should have advance university degree in Land Economics, gender, development studies, social science, or other relevant disciplines, with specialized focus on gender mainstreaming etc. 
 

The consultant should have 5- 7 years or more work experience and familiarity with gender equality programming in the UN, gender and land especially communal land.  

Experience  in use of gender analysis toolkit, and familiarity with key concepts and application of gender mainstreaming guidelines as well as awareness of national legal frameworks on land.   

To Apply: 

FAO is an equal opportunity employer; qualified women are encouraged to apply. 

Acknowledgements will only be sent to applicants in whom FAO has a further interest.
 

Interested candidates who meet the above qualifications may send their application letter, and a detailed CV clearly marked CONSULTANT -  GENDER AND COMMUNAL LAND; STRICTLY BY EMAIL not later than 4th of April, 2014 to:  E-mail : vacancy-Kenya@fao.org 

Applications must be received by the deadline.  

Late applications will not be considered.