Gender and Social Programs Specialist - Volunteer Position - Onsite in Costa Rica

Project description

The Municipality of Escazú in Costa Rica has requested the support of a Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV) to serve as a Gender and Social Programs Specialist. Under the Costa Rican Legal Framework, all municipalities are mandated to develop actions and programs to promote gender equality in their jurisdiction. In 2012, the Municipality of Escazú developed its first plan to promote gender equality. This was a simple document that specified general guidelines to move towards the goal of promoting the equality between men and women. It was soon determined that in order to attend to the growing concerns and needs related to gender promotion, a stronger effort was needed by the Municipality in terms of action planning. The Municipality has identified a need for support in mainstreaming Municipal Gender Policy with innovative ideas, staff training, and identifying an action plan to achieve the policy goals.

The PCRV will work within the Social Development Department, as part of the professional team that oversees Equality and Gender Equity at a municipal level, to contribute new theories and methodologies in the field of gender training, as well as with the inter-institutional articulation to obtain concrete results. The PCRV will also design and execute a Training and Awareness Program on gender promotion and on the Municipal Gender Policy for all municipal agencies and establish a monitoring and evaluation model to be able to measure the progress of the different municipal units on the Gender Policy.

Candidates selected for this position will be arriving in Costa Rica together as a group, so while the departure dates for the whole group could change, dates cannot be changed for individual candidates.

Required Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in any field related to social programs, gender and/or diversity.
• Professional experience in the design and implementation of community gender training and facilitating social programs.
• Proficiency in Spanish as a second language (Advance Spanish). Trainings/engagement with Municipal staff and community members will need to occur in Spanish.
• Strong cross-cultural skills that allow the Volunteer to understand or to quickly learn about the social and cultural differences of the Costa Rican context.
• Experience in monitoring and evaluating gender focused programs.
• Demonstrated vocation for community service.
  
  

Living conditions

Learn more about the Volunteer experience in Costa Rica: Get detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics in order to make a well-informed decision about serving.

Medical considerations

Before you apply, please review medical clearance and legal clearance to learn about the process.