About this Role

UGANET is committed to advancing gender equality and preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG) through integrated legal, policy, advocacy, community engagement, and capacity-strengthening interventions. The organisation works with government institutions, civil society, development partners, and communities to address gender-related barriers to justice, health, and human rights, while promoting the protection and empowerment of women, girls, and other vulnerable populations.

The Head of Gender Equality and VAW Prevention will provide strategic leadership and technical oversight for UGANET’s gender portfolio, ensuring the effective design, implementation, and growth of gender-responsive programmes. The role will drive innovation, strengthen partnerships, mobilize resources, and position UGANET as a leader in advancing gender equality and preventing violence against women and girls at national and regional levels.

The helm of UGANET’s core interventions in HIV is the realization that Violence Against Women and Girls strongly intersects with HIV and presents itself across multiple vulnerabilities. Our GE and VAWP work is premised on addressing the vulnerability that fuels other vulnerabilities like HIV, Disabilities, POCs coupled with unfavourable social norms and practices among different cultural settings. The department of Gender Equality and VAW/G prevention provides leadership in achieving UGANET’s mandate to address Gender related Human Rights barriers to access to Justice.

The desired leader/head of this portfolio will demonstrate specialty knowledge in Gender Equality/GBV programming, understand UGANET’s journey and purpose of addressing gender vulnerabilities, and have the leadership strength to grow this program over the next 5 years.

Specific Functions

• Oversee the mainstreaming of gender and lead gender analysis in all related UGANET work focus areas, approaches and programs.
• Take lead in identifying the unique characteristics of gender relations as it relates to health, HIV, the law and human rights, especially for all vulnerable categories that UGANET targets.
• Integrate gender findings into program activity plans, strategies, budgets, and monitoring, evaluation and learning systems.
• Have technical and managerial oversight for behaviour-change programming efforts around gender norms.
• Build the capacity of UGANET staff for effective gender program design and implementation.
• Take lead in further developing UGANET VAW prevention programs, especially taking the SASA model to scale.
• Coordinate research, activities documentation, and regular sharing of best practices and innovations for learning and policy influencing at the local, national, regional and international levels.
• Establish collaboration with local partners and other key stakeholders related to VAWG and access to care and support services for survivors of gender-based violence.
• Take lead in developing the UGANET Shelter Home program in Zirobwe and be responsible for all women and girls’ empowerment programs.
• Conduct field visits to monitor implementation of UGANET Gender Equality and VAW Prevention programs.
• Develop fundable proposals for gender and VAW prevention projects.
• Build and nurture strategic partnerships, networks and coalitions with line ministries, development partners, donors, civil society organizations, and the private sector to lobby and influence gender-responsive policies, laws and programs.
• Participate in national gender networks and forums such as the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, and JLOS engagements.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from a recognized institution.
• Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice (Bar Course).
• A Master’s degree in Law, Gender Studies, Human Rights, or a related field is an added advantage.

Experience

• A minimum of 7–10 years of progressively responsible experience, with demonstrated specialization in gender equality and/or GBV/VAW prevention programming.
• At least 3–5 years in a leadership or supervisory role.
• Demonstrated experience in community mobilisation models (e.g., SASA!), proposal development, and strategic partnership building.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Deep technical knowledge of gender equality, GBV and VAW/G prevention frameworks.
• Strong ability to work with communities, government and high-level partners.
• Excellent research, documentation, and proposal development skills.
• Strategic thinking, self-driven, and results-oriented.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• High ethical standards and commitment to social justice and gender equality.

• Oversee the mainstreaming of gender and lead gender analysis in all related UGANET work focus areas, approaches and programs.
• Take lead in identifying the unique characteristics of gender relations as it relates to health, HIV, the law and human rights, especially for all vulnerable categories that UGANET targets.
• Integrate gender findings into program activity plans, strategies, budgets, and monitoring, evaluation and learning systems.
• Have technical and managerial oversight for behaviour-change programming efforts around gender norms.
• Build the capacity of UGANET staff for effective gender program design and implementation.
• Take lead in further developing UGANET VAW prevention programs, especially taking the SASA model to scale.
• Coordinate research, activities documentation, and regular sharing of best practices and innovations for learning and policy influencing at the local, national, regional and international levels.
• Establish collaboration with local partners and other key stakeholders related to VAWG and access to care and support services for survivors of gender-based violence.
• Take lead in developing the UGANET Shelter Home program in Zirobwe and be responsible for all women and girls’ empowerment programs.
• Conduct field visits to monitor implementation of UGANET Gender Equality and VAW Prevention programs.
• Develop fundable proposals for gender and VAW prevention projects.
• Build and nurture strategic partnerships, networks and coalitions with line ministries, development partners, donors, civil society organizations, and the private sector to lobby and influence gender-responsive policies, laws and programs.
• Participate in national gender networks and forums such as the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, and JLOS engagements.

• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Deep technical knowledge of gender equality, GBV and VAW/G prevention frameworks.
• Strong ability to work with communities, government and high-level partners.
• Excellent research, documentation, and proposal development skills.
• Strategic thinking, self-driven, and results-oriented.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• High ethical standards and commitment to social justice and gender equality.

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from a recognized institution.
• Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice (Bar Course).
• A Master’s degree in Law, Gender Studies, Human Rights, or a related field is an added advantage.
• A minimum of 7–10 years of progressively responsible experience, with demonstrated specialization in gender equality and/or GBV/VAW prevention programming.
• At least 3–5 years in a leadership or supervisory role.
• Demonstrated experience in community mobilisation models (e.g., SASA!), proposal development, and strategic partnership building.