Policy Specialist – Ending Violence Against Women

About the role

The UN Women West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO) in Dakar is seeking a Policy Specialist to provide high‑level technical advice on ending violence against women, support country offices, and coordinate regional initiatives.

Key responsibilities

• Manage the development of programmes on ending violence against women for country office teams.
• Develop and implement an integrated strategy for technical assistance, policy advocacy and programme support across the region.
• Oversee contextualisation and localisation of programme documents, country strategies and knowledge products.
• Lead capacity‑building support to country offices and partners, ensuring proper monitoring and reporting.
• Supervise and lead the Ending Violence against Women unit staff.
• Coordinate WCARO’s engagement in specific initiatives such as Spotlight.
• Facilitate internal coordination and partnership‑building with regional organisations.

Required profile

• Advanced degree in gender studies, public policy, international development or a related field.
• Several years of experience in gender‑based violence policy, programme design and implementation in West or Central Africa.
• Proven experience coordinating multi‑stakeholder processes and providing strategic guidance to senior officials.
• Strong analytical, writing and communication skills.
• Fluency in English (French optional).

Required skills