Economic Justice Lead at African Women’s Development and Communication Network

FEMNET – The African Women’s Development and Communication Network is a pan- African membership-based feminist network based in Nairobi with over 600 members across 46 African countries. FEMNET envisions an African society where gender equality is achieved and women and girls enjoy their rights and dignity while in its mission it seeks to facilitate and coordinate the sharing of experiences, ideas, information, and strategies for human rights promotion among African women’s organizations through networking, communication, capacity-building and advocacy at the regional and international levels.

The economic justice and rights programme continues to generate knowledge through working with a critical mass of women to conduct research to inform advocacy; as well as supporting advocacy initiatives by FEMNET members especially linking their efforts to not just respond to the impacts of but also influence macroeconomic policies and frameworks to work for them.

Job Purpose

FEMNET is seeking to recruit a dynamic, passionate, economist to serve as Economic Justice (EJ) Lead on a 2-year contract renewable upon satisfactory performance and availability of funds, to co-create, shape, lead, strengthen and deliver FEMNET’s Economic Justice work. The lead will also be instrumental in building and strengthening solidarity within FEMNET membership, with close allies and partners and with broader Economic Justice Movements and Social Movements.

• Functionally Reports to: Policy Programme Manager


• Supervises: Economic Justice and Rights Officer and Assistant

Main duties include

• Building Feminist Power: At the core of the FEMNET Economic Justice work, is commitment to change and shape spaces and macroeconomic policies.  Building collective feminist power is invaluable means to that end. African Feminist Economic Justice lead will, in collaboration with other thematic leaders, partners and allies


• Assess trends and systematic change relevant to economic justice and social justice, focusing on the macroeconomic policies, practices, systems and structures.


• Create, generate and collate body of knowledge on African Feminist Economics through research, feminist analysis and documentation.


• Lead in creating robust, cutting edge influencing strategy to ensure concrete changes are attained in different policy process that FEMNET engages that include, AU, AGA, AfCTA, CSW, World Bank Annuals, Financing for development, BRICs Feminist Watch, Gender and Trade Network,


• Convene, support and make discernible engagement of African women and girls and FEMNET members across the 5 African regions and diaspora in different policy spaces.


• Lead in advocating for the network to have space in speaking engagements that are authentic with facts and robust feminist analysis.


• Draft analytical papers/blogs on feminist analysis of key macroeconomic issues that include but not limited to IFFs, debt, tax justice, Gender transformative budgeting, private and public policies.


• Support the integration of feminist economic analysis in the key thematic focus of FEMNET-:


• Strengthening Solidarity: To alter relations of power and disrupt world economic order, there is a need to strengthen solidarity across horizontal and vertical socioeconomic and geographical stratifications.  To that end, EJ Lead will


• Build the capacity of women’s rights organizations and activists to enhance their knowledge to inform their engagement and action in economic justice and rights.


• Coordinate and curate with relevant partners the annual African Feminist Macroeconomic Academy (AFMA), public lectures and follow up on action points.


• Coordinate and nurture a community of African Feminists working on the macroeconomic policies (AFMA alumni)


• Design and lead solidarity actions within FEMNET membership and across the broader movements.


• Build and strengthen allies with gender equality and social justice advocates with other traditional economic justice allies and partners.


• Amplifying voices: FEMNET draw her strength from more than 800 members across 50 African countries and the diaspora. EJ lead will


• Ensure FEMNET members are equitably represented in both internal and external engagements.


• Document in various format African women lived realities and their quest to Economic Justice making an intricate link between macro and micro economics.


• Work closely with the VOICE team to amplify and sustain voices of African women and girls in all their diversities and their demand to Economic Justice


• In collaboration with VOICE team, popularize knowledge products produced by FEMNET and her members to ensure easy accessibility, debunk and simplify complex concepts for driving advocacy.

Nurturing FEMNET Soul: EJ lead will as a member of the FEMNET family embrace the African feminist principles, nurture teamwork embracing diversity, inclusion and creativity in a multi- cultural environment and to that end will:

• Embrace African leadership principles and ensure FEMNET lives and breath the African Feminist organization principles and values.


• Directly manage and lead Economic Justice team and ensure their safety and wellbeing as the first point of contact in collaboration with other departments and units


• Work closely with other thematic leads to ensure cross learning and holistic implementation of FEMNET programs


• Ensure timely and impactful implementation of all EJ actions


• Manage development partners relations and ensure all contractual obligations under Economic Justice portfolio are served and fulfilled


• Manage budget for the Economic Justice portfolio while working closely with finance team to maintain highest level of financial integrity and compliance.


• In collaboration with Monitoring and Learning lead, ensure timely and adequate documentation, periodic monitoring, adaptive learning and systematic evaluation of the Economic Justice programs


• Produce timely outcome-based reports for both internal and external use


• Lead and/or support resource mobilizations through structured bidding process or fundraising activities


• Support the other thematic leads ensuring an intersectional approach in line with FEMNET’s strategic priorities.

Person Specification

This role offers a unique opportunity for an Economist to lead and shape continental and global debate, policies and spaces.  A feminist, gender equality and women’s rights activist with a genuine commitment to work and passion to drive transformative change will have a platform to serve and join a dynamic team working with one of the largest and influential Pan-African feminist networks.

Additionally, an individual who is:

• Has Integrity and Ethics: High integrity and ethical behavior in all dealings and ensure that own behavior is consistent with FEMNET’s values and standards


• Demonstrates commitment to gender equality and women’s and girls’ rights


• Professional: Demonstrates high standards and expertise in all areas of work


• Result orientiented: Consistently meets set goals, focused and goal oriented. Proactive and responsive to staff and stakeholder needs


• A critical thinker and an analyst


• A good communicator with the ability to influence conversations in various regional and global policy and technical spaces.


• Team oriented / Interpersonal relations: Establishes and maintains positive working relationships with others, both internally and externally to achieve the goals; ability to thrive well in diverse teams


• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment; values diversity and inclusion, creates a supportive work environment which enables team members to be effective and realise their potential


• A self-starter with innovative initiatives.

Experience, Skills competencies and qualifications:

Academic Qualifications

• Have a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Economics, Gender, Law or any other relevant discipline from a recognised university


• Master’s Degree in a relevant field from a recognised university.

 Minimum Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• 4 – 7 years in a senior program management position, working on macroeconomic policies, public policy issues and using a gendered analysis of macroeconomics.


• Experience working at the African regional level and/or international levels including experience working with African Union Institutions/Organs and UN Bodies.


• Knowledge and experience with international grant making processes and compliance


• Strong Information Technology (IT) & Information System (IS) skills, including Microsoft Office packages, ERPs etc


• Proven research, conceptual, analytical skills and ability to apply them in inter-disciplinary contexts


• Proven interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people in a multi-cultural, multi-interest, multi-ethnic environment


• Strong professional linkages with gender justice and human rights organizations and activists •


• Superior communication and interpersonal skills


• A collaborative nature and proven track record of teamwork and generous leadership


• Strong critical thinking skills, resourcefulness, and ability to problem-solve


• Passion for social justice and human rights, including women’s rights and LGBTQI equality

Other attributes

• A critical understanding of and deep commitment to feminism, social justice, and human rights issues facing women and trans* people worldwide.


• Demonstrate commitment to Charter of African Feminist Principles


• Ability to break down complex information into actionable points


•  Ability to communicate and work effectively in English. Competency in French will be added an advantage


• Thrives in a small team atmosphere with highly collaborative and consensus-driven activists


• Works methodically with attention to detail and sensitivity to confidential information


• A high level of self-awareness, sound judgement, self-care, passion and flexibility


• Ability to multi-task under limited supervision


• Willing to travel frequently within Africa and beyond.

Must have skills:

• Strategic Management skills;


• Coordination and Program Management skills ,


• Monitoring and Evaluation skills,


• Fund raising and resource mobilisation skills,


• Communication and good presentation skills,


• Partnership and Networking skills.


• People Management Skills

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