Brief Description:

Location: Castries, St. Lucia

Start Date: As soon as possible

Placement Length: 7-9 months

Language Requirements: English

Open to Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada Only

The Volunteer’s Role
As a volunteer, you will develop communication campaigns and coordinate community engagement initiatives to empower vulnerable women and girls and civil society groups. Your work will help provide access to use gender-responsive programs and services offered by government institutions. Additionally, you will build the capacity of government staff through training on best practices for community engagement including requisite structures and processes for sustainability.

The overall purpose of the placement is to strengthen the capacity of the Gender Division and additional ministries to engage with vulnerable women and girls including women’s rights organizations. Increased community engagement will serve to increase their knowledge about barriers faced by vulnerable women and girls to subsequently inform the development of the programs and services offered to these vulnerable groups.

BLUEPRINTS is being implemented in four countries: Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. You will work in close collaboration with Gender Experts in each country. You will also work with a local In-Country Program Support Officer to coordinate support to the Gender Divisions and ministries.

As a volunteer, you will:

Conduct a thorough assessment of current mechanisms in place to engage vulnerable groups.
Coordinate the design and implementation of communications campaigns to increase awareness within vulnerable groups of programs and services offered by public institutions.
Coordinate the execution of community engagement sessions to facilitate engagement between public institutions and vulnerable women and girls and other vulnerable groups.
Coordinate the design of feedback mechanism tools for use by vulnerable women and girls and women’s rights organizations to share their direct interests, needs, perspectives and rights, quality of public programs and services and suggested improvements by public institutions for greater citizen engagement
Coordinate the formation of community Feedback Committees to consolidate community members' responses, comments and observations
Coordinate capacity-building sessions with staff on community engagement strategies to promote their programs and services to community beneficiaries

Essential Requirements:

University degree in communications, marketing, public relations or social sciences-related field
Specialized training in program campaign design and public relations events

Essential Background:

Minimum of 3 years of demonstrated experience in a position related to communications and marketing
Experience working with government agencies and senior management
Experience in training and facilitation

What’s in it for YOU? A life-changing experience!

About Us, the Project and the Partner
Cuso International

Cuso International is an international cooperation and development organization that works to create economic and social opportunities for marginalized groups. Together with our partners, we are focused on efforts to advance gender equality and social inclusion, improve economic resilience, and deliver progress on climate action. We believe that by sharing skills, we can build better futures. Founded in 1961, Cuso International works in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Canada.

Project - BluePrints for Gender Equality

Cuso will be implementing the four-year BLUEPRINTS project funded by the Government of Canada Global Affairs Canada (GAC); the main focus of the project is to strengthen the capacity of local governments in Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to integrate gender into policies, programs, and services to better reflect the needs, perspectives and interests of the Caribbean’s most vulnerable women and girls.

Partner - Gender Affairs Division, Ministry of Social Development, Housing and Community Empowerment

The Gender Relations Division’s mission is to create an environment to redress gender imbalances through policies and programmes geared towards maximizing women participation in, and benefits from national socio-economic development initiatives and improve the relationship between women and men: the goal of which is to enhance the quality of women 's lives and to allow both women and men to achieve their full potential.

Requirements

Benefits
Terms and Conditions
Cuso International terms and conditions allow you to lead a modest and healthy lifestyle while being effective in your placement. This support package will cover basic living expenses for one volunteer and is not intended to cover home-based expenses (ex. loans, support payments, etc.) or luxury items such as imported items in placement or international personal travel.

Support Package

Modest monthly living allowance (varies depending on country)
Accommodation while in placement
Return airfare and visa/work permit costs
Cost of required vaccinations, antimalarial medication, and health insurance
Pre-departure training, in-country orientation, and reintegration debriefing, including travel and accommodation (more details below)
On the ground support through our Cuso International country program office
Access to Employee Assistance Program while in placement and upon return
Bonus: Additional return flight home or cash in lieu after 12 months of service for volunteers who extend for another 6 months

Other Requirements:

Please note that if you are shortlisted for the placement, you will be required to:
Provide two Professional References and one Personal Reference
Complete an oral assessment during your preliminary telephone interview in the language required for your placement
Obtain a Police Check at our request
Complete a full medical exam and be medically cleared by the Cuso International Medical Advisor prior to your departure
Due to the COVID-19 situation, be double vaccinated in accordance with the

Fundraising

We ask each volunteer, regardless of placement length, to raise $2,000. All volunteers receive support from Cuso International to help achieve the goal through fundraising. If the volunteer chooses not to fundraise or is unable to achieve the fundraising goal, he/she can make a one-time donation or become a monthly donor to support our work.

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