Strategic GEDSI Advisor – Strategic Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Short Term Adviser (STA) 

International position | Hybrid role: Remote and in Vientiane | Short term until 30 June 2028

The Program

The Basic Education Quality and Access in Lao PDR (BEQUAL) program is led by the Government of Lao PDR with support from the Australian Government to advance the education priorities of the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) as described in the Education and Sports Sector Development Plan (ESSDP). BEQUAL Phase 2 continues the substantial progress and builds upon the achievements of the first phase (2015-2022). It provides support to the development of an enabling and inclusive teaching and learning environment for teachers and learners with a focus on those who may be disadvantaged because of gender, disability, ethnicity or language.

The Position

The GEDSI STA will provide strategic and technical advice to strengthen BEQUAL’s approach towards gender transformative programming in the primary education system.

The GEDSI STA will provide strategic advice to the BEQUAL management team to ensure BEQUAL programming reflects the core principles and priorities of DFAT’s new Gender Equality Strategy and Disability Equity and Rights Strategy. The GEDSI STA will also develop a GEDSI strategy for the Phase 2 extension period that includes explicit objectives and indicators (both qualitative and quantitative) for gender equality, disability inclusion, and social inclusion of non-Lao speaking groups within primary education.

The GEDSI STA will lead on the design and support the implementation of GEDSI-focused research and analysis activities in the Implementation Strategy 2026-28, including Learning Labs. The GEDSI STA will design targeted studies, including data collection and analysis approaches, to unpack gender and social norms underpinning ‘sticky’ problems in the education sector, including child protection and school related gender-based violence, as well as design training for MoES management and leadership on gender equality.

The Person

You have a strong ability to develop and implement Gender and Social Inclusion related policies and programs in Southeast Asia. Specific experience of working in Lao PDR is highly desirable. You have demonstrated experience engaging local stakeholders, including CSOs, and other local and national government officials in gender and social inclusion initiatives. You have an ability to design and conduct gender and social inclusion analyses, as well as integrate and implement findings into program designs and annual plans. You have experience building capacity of staff and stakeholders on gender and inclusion.

You have strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to influence change and broker successful partnerships within and across organisations, excellent verbal and written communication skills, including leading changes in a cross-cultural working environment.