Be part of a dedicated team of youth participation specialists working to enhance meaningful youth participation for girls and young women in diverse Member Organisations around the world!
WAGGGS envisions a world where girls and young women have the opportunity to actively participate and make meaningful contributions in their communities and Member Organisations. This vision aligns closely with the concept of meaningful youth participation, which emphasises the importance of involving young people in decision-making processes that affect them.
WAGGGS recognises the inherent value of girls' voices, perspectives, and experiences. By fostering an inclusive and empowering environment, WAGGGS aims to ensure that girls and young women are not only heard but also actively engaged in shaping policies, programmes, and initiatives. This approach creates a sense of ownership, empowerment, and agency among girls and young women, enabling them to develop leadership skills, gain confidence, and make a positive impact in their communities.
Context
The Girl Guide/Girl Scout Movement has committed to becoming led by girls and young women through the adoption of Compass 2032 – our long-term vision for the Movement.
Within Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting, being led by girls and young women means girls and young women are driving the direction of their experience. For the Movement, it means that any and every girl and young woman has the space to lead and make decisions, and girls and young women are confident and equipped to exercise their power at local, regional and international levels. We also recognise the importance of capacity building and skills development for young people, providing training and resources to support their engagement and leadership journey within their organisations. Being led by girls and young women will look different for each unit, Member Organisation and Region.
WAGGGS will be supporting Member Organisations to becoming more girl-led through building capacity to:
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Understand and value meaningful youth participation.
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Create an enabling environment for youth participation in their organisations through a culture shift.
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Identify steps to implement youth participation practices at different levels of the organisation.
The Role – Specialist Support
The Girl-Led Advocacy team are recruiting a team of voluntary Youth Participation specialists to provide bespoke capacity building support to Member Organisations who wish to strengthen their youth participation practices. Key activities include:
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Capacity Building: Provide training sessions, workshops, and use existing resources such as the Meaningful Youth Participation (MYP) framework to help Member Organisations understand and implement meaningful youth participation.
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Promoting Meaningful Youth Participation: Advocate for and promote meaningful youth participation principles within WAGGGS and its Member Organisations.
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Programme Development: Collaborate with the Girl-Led Advocacy team to create and implement programmes that encourage and facilitate youth participation.
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Knowledge Sharing: Stay updated on emerging trends and best practices in youth participation and share knowledge, resources, and success stories internally and externally.
Time Commitment & Availability
October: Call for applicants closes 15 October then interviews with Girl-Led Advocacy Leads Rita Kihembo (Staff) and Erin Wicking (Lead Volunteer) take place.
December: Induction and training provided on the project, workshops and WAGGGS approach to facilitation and Non-Formal Education (approx. 4 hours commitment).
January 2024: First round of capacity building workshops delivered.
Ongoing: Provide ad-hoc support to the MO interested in meaningful youth participation (developed at the end of workshop three).
Who should apply?
Knowledge & Experience
We are looking for applicants with the following experience...
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A familiarity with principles and practices of meaningful youth participation and a willingness to further develop understanding.
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Experience in roles focused on support, capacity building, or project management within the context of youth participation.
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Implemented systems or training to promote the safety and well-being of children and young people in the context of meaningful youth participation.
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Contributed to the development of policies or frameworks aimed at enhancing meaningful youth participation.
Desirable
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Experience in cross-cultural or international settings is advantageous, showcasing your ability to understand diverse cultural contexts, engage with young people from different backgrounds.
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Demonstrated experience in collaborative and inclusive teamwork with diverse stakeholders, including young people, adults, and community partners.
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Demonstrating strategic thinking and a big-picture mindset, along with the ability to align youth engagement initiatives with the organization's vision and mission.
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Demonstrated experience in advocacy and leadership, especially in youth empowerment, amplifying youth voices, and driving social change
Skills & Values
You will be…
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Able to communicate complex and sensitive topics in an accessible and engaging way
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Confident facilitating training online in small teams
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Motivated with a desire to learn and a commitment to improving meaningful youth participation in the Girl Guiding and Scouting Movement
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Able to commit to tasks and follow through
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Able to handle sensitive information in a confidential manner
Leadership Practice – in addition to the skills and experience above candidates should take the following approach to their work based on the WAGGGS Leadership Model.
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Be able to adapt to different contexts where youth participation and intergenerational partnerships may be applied and understood in different terms to your own
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Always consider different perspectives and approaches and ensure you work in a way that is relevant, respectful of differences, and applicable in diverse contexts
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Always work to provide the best outcomes so that women and girls worldwide reach their fullest potential
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Respect for different contexts and frameworks within which youth participation exist.
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Ability to deliver sessions in any of the four WAGGGS official languages with flexibility to work in English.
How to apply?
If you feel that you have the essential things we are looking for, please send a short letter which explains
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Why you’re interested in this role
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How your skills and experience match the criteria above
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Any other relevant information
Alternatively, if you would like to discuss the role in more detail, we would be happy to arrange a call until the 14th October 2023.
Please send all enquiries and applications to Rita Kihembo (Girl-Led Advocacy Staff Lead) and Erin Wicking (Girl-Led Advocacy Lead Volunteer) at the email addresses below. We look forward to hearing from you:
