GEDSI and Feminist Influencing Thematic Lead
Location: Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam
Contract: 1-year fixed term
One Oxfam Grade: C1 National
Job purpose: Provide expert technical guidance and coordination to advance gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI) across multi-country water governance and climate resilience programming. Lead strategic alignment of the GEDSI Strategic Framework and action plans with Oxfam’s feminist and inclusive frameworks, coordinating partners, research, and capacity support.
Contribute to systemic change through regional influencing, advocacy, and cross-country learning that centres rights-based, locally led approaches.
DIMENSIONS of the Role:
Strategic Leadership and Influence: The role is responsible for developing and implementing strategies and frameworks that shape programming and policy – through feminist influencing and GEDSI integration in natural resource governance and climate resilience.
External Engagement and Representation: Significant external-facing responsibilities, including engaging governments, regional partners, civil society, donors, and regional and global networks to influence narratives, policy, and practice.
Technical Expertise and Advisory Support: The role serves as senior technical specialist – on feminist policy influencing and intersectional analysis and on GEDSI integration in programming – advising internal teams and partners across multiple countries.
Capacity Strengthening and Technical Support: Provides targeted capacity development to Oxfam teams and partners across multiple countries, equipping them with tools, knowledge, and confidence to apply inclusive, rights-based approaches to water governance and climate resilience. Supports practical integration of GEDSI principles through mentoring, training, and co-design of context-relevant action plans.
- Technical Leadership
- Provide high-level technical advice on gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI).
- Lead, review, and oversee the implementation of the program’s GEDSI Strategic Framework to ensure women’s leadership, prioritising Indigenous Women, women with disabilities, and diverse groups across the program.
- Lead feminist influencing strategies across multi-country climate and natural resource governance initiatives.
- Co-design and coordinate implementation of the regional GEDSI action plan, ensuring alignment with Oxfam’s feminist principles, strategic frameworks, and program goals.
- Monitor and support the integration of inclusive practices across the project lifecycle, including research, MEAL, and communications, ensuring the visibility of marginalized voices.
- Capacity Development
- Build and strengthen the capacity of Oxfam teams, partners, women led network, and stakeholders through tailored tools, mentoring, and inclusive training across diverse cultural, political, and institutional contexts.
- Facilitate learning exchanges, regional workshops, and peer-to-peer support models to embed intersectional GEDSI and feminist approaches into partner organizations and local governance processes.
- Support the development of partner-led, context-specific methodologies for GEDSI integration in climate resilience, enabling long-term ownership and leadership.
- Provide coaching and technical backstopping to country teams and partners to operationalize policy commitments on gender, disability, and social inclusion.
- Convene, facilitate and resource ad-hoc and on-going working groups for knowledge exchange, strategic alignment, and joint action on GEDSI, feminist influencing, and inclusive water governance and climate resilience across the region.
- Influencing and Representation
- Lead and coordinate regional advocacy efforts, influencing policies and practices at local, national, and international levels through alliances, research, and evidence-based approaches.
- Represent Oxfam in high-level forums, building partnerships and strategic collaborations with civil society, governments, donors, and multilateral actors.
- Research, develop and present analytical reports, research papers, briefing notes, background papers, summaries, and knowledge products on women’s leadership and participation in water governance and climate resilience.
- Maintain ongoing analysis of the external environment as it relates to gender, disability inclusion, the civil society sector, and political, economic and social environment. People and Partnership Management
- Provide oversight and coordination across staff, partners, and consultants to ensure coherent, accountable delivery of feminist influencing and GEDSI initiatives.
- Facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange across Oxfam and partner networks to strengthen impact and consistency in intersectional programming.
- ESSENTIAL
- Self-Awareness
- Influencing
- Enabling
- Qualifications: Advanced degree in gender studies, social sciences, international development, or a related field, with at least 8–10 years of progressively responsible experience in gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI), feminist policy influencing, or rights-based programming designing and implementing programmes and advocating for women’s leadership and participation—preferably in climate resilience, water governance, or related sectors across the Mekong Sub-Region.
- Strategic Thinking and Judgment – Proven ability to apply intersectional analysis and feminist principles to develop and implement regional strategies on GEDSI and climate justice within complex, multi-country contexts.
- Influencing – Excellent knowledge of women’s leadership and participation with demonstrated success in building strategic alliances and leveraging evidence to influence policy, discourse, and decision-making at national, regional, and global levels.
- Capacity Development – Extensive experience designing and delivering inclusive capacity-strengthening initiatives with partners and internal teams, including mentoring, training, and co-creation of tools and methodologies.
- Collaboration and Relationship Building – Strong interpersonal skills and a proven ability to work across diverse multi-cultural teams, countries, and sectors to ensure shared learning, alignment, and collective impact.
- Self-Awareness and Accountability – Actively practices inclusive leadership, reflects critically on power and privilege, and consistently upholds feminist and rights-based values in professional relationships and decision-making.
- Fluency in a Mekong language and a high level of competency in written and spoken English, with the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and adapt messaging for diverse audiences, including partners, policymakers, and communities.
