Legal And Policy Advisor – The International PRIDE Centre

Job Title: Legal and Policy Advisor – The International PRIDE Centre

Organisation: The International PRIDE Centre, hosted by ICVA

Location and Duration: Remote, with frequent travel in eastern and southern Africa (strong preference for candidates based in Africa)

2 years with possibility of renewal – contingent upon project financing

Reporting to: Director of Programmes and Partnerships

1. About The International PRIDE Centre

The International PRIDE Centre: Protection, Rights, and Inclusion in Displacement and Emergencies is a new initiative which is working to ensure that the urgent, critical needs of people and communities with non-traditional Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) in Africa are included in emergency responses to natural disasters, refugee displacement, and climate-driven displacement.

Laws and regulations prohibiting and criminalising SOGIE individuals, organisations, and those that assist them are rapidly expanding throughout the world. The International PRIDE Centre is developing resources, tools, and inclusion training for emergency and humanitarian actors, alongside advocacy to donors and UN agencies to ensure that the unique and specific needs of persons from sexual and gender minority communities are identified, included, and responded-to with empathy, safety, and urgency by response agencies during emergencies.

The International PRIDE Centre will focus on six pilot countries in Africa with a planned Phase 2 scale-up.

The International PRIDE Centre is an independent secretariat hosted by ICVA, established in 2024. Governed by a Strategic Advisory Board, the Centre is an initial team of four, working with local partners.

2. About ICVA (host organisation)

Established in 1962, the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) comprises a worldwide network of more than 160 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) engaged in activities across 160 countries. Operating at global, regional, national, and local tiers, ICVA is dedicated to enhancing the principled and effective nature of humanitarian action. Through collaborative and independent efforts, the organization strives to influence policies and practices, fostering a collective impact on the humanitarian landscape.

With a historical foundation in Geneva, the ICVA Secretariat extends its reach across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

3. Summary of Role

The Legal and Policy Advisor will lead the analysis of laws and policies that restrict and curtail LGBTQI+ protection, rights, and safety and civil society in humanitarian, emergency response and development contexts. The Advisor will lead the development of methods, tools, and approaches that enable international humanitarian and development actors to effectively include LGBTQI+ needs and protection into response programming and operations in restrictive environments. The role includes conducting legal and policy analysis, designing risk assessments, and developing guidance and recommendations for humanitarian actors. The advisor will also help draft proposals and advocate with donors, UN agencies, and INGOs for LGBTQI+ inclusion in funding calls and partnership agreements.

4. Main Duties and Responsibilities

LGBTQI+ Legal and Policy Analysis

• Write analysis of the impacts of anti-LGBTQI+ policy and legislation in focus countries as it pertains to the impacts on civil society, NGOs, international actors, and to LGBTQI+ persons affected by conflict, displacement, and disasters.
• Conduct research and interviews with civil society organisations, senior managers of NGOs, UN agencies, and other response actors to assess the impact of restrictive LGBTQI+ legislation on humanitarian efforts.
• Provide legal and policy briefings on anti-LGBTQI+ laws, offering practical guidance on navigating these challenges while maintaining program integrity and safety.

Tool and Guideline development

• Develop tools and risk assessment templates for CSOs and NGOs to operate safely in multisector humanitarian response settings, considering LGBTQI+ restrictions.
• Design practical, accessible resources for agencies to use in implementing inclusive programming in complex and restrictive humanitarian and development environments.

Advocacy and Influencing

• Collaborate with donors, UN agencies, and diplomatic missions to integrate LGBTQI+ inclusion language in funding calls and partnership agreements.
• Engage in advocacy efforts to promote the integration of LGBTQI+ issues within international humanitarian response strategies.

Research and Publication

• Lead needs assessment research to identify gaps in current humanitarian response programming for LGBTQI+ communities.
• Publish guidelines, recommendations, and reports based on research findings and interviews, aiming to influence global humanitarian practices.

Training and Capacity Sharing

• Develop and deliver training sessions for humanitarian actors, focusing on building awareness, empathy, and skills for LGBTQI+ inclusion.
• Provide technical support to partners and stakeholders, ensuring understanding and compliance with legal frameworks.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Monitor the implementation of tools and approaches, ensuring they meet objectives and are adapted as needed.
• Collect feedback from field actors to refine strategies and improve advocacy efforts.

5. Essential Requirements

Education

• Degree in Law, Human Rights, Public Policy, International Relations, or a related field.
• Relevant training and/or experience with principles of diversity and inclusion, in particular with regards to LGBTQI+ communities.

Experience

• At least 5 years of experience in legal or policy roles, preferably within the humanitarian and emergency response sectors in Africa.
• At least 5 years working with humanitarian response or development NGOs.
• Demonstrated expertise in LGBTQI+ issues, policy ad rights, in particular operating in restrictive and repressive environments. Knowledge and experience of humanitarian policy development.
• Strong research and analytical skills, with the ability to translate complex legal and policy information into practical tools and recommendations.
• Experience working with local NGOs and civil society.
• Experience living and working as a member of an LGBTQI+ community in the global south, and Africa in particular, is a significant asset.

Values

• Demonstrable experience working within and promoting core humanitarian values, including the ICRC’s Fundamental Principles, anti-racism and aid decolonisation.
• Knowledge of and experience living and working with SOGIE individuals and communities in all their diversity.

Knowledge and Skills

• Excellent communication, writing, presentation and representational skills appropriate for different audiences, including the ability to influence people (samples will be required)
• Understanding of the broader humanitarian and development NGO/UN/donor landscape and its current challenges.
• Proven ability as a connector and able to foster partnerships and collaboration.
• Ability to work with cross cultural and diverse SOGIE environments.

Language

• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Proficiency in written and spoken French is an asset.

The Strategic Advisory Board will review this Job Description on an annual basis and amend if required.

The PRIDE Centre is rooted in a foundation of anti-racism and aid decolonisation across all outputs and operations. We embrace SOGIE communities in all their diversity, inclusive of indigenous understandings of non-CIS sexual identity and gender expression and identity.

The International PRIDE Centre’s Commitment on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The International PRIDE Centre, its staff and board, are committed to a world that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe that every individual—regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, or socio-economic background—deserves dignity, safety, a livelihood, and a sense of belonging.

We champion the rights of LGBTQI+ communities globally, with particular emphasis on the unique challenges, strengths, and experience of those in the Global South. We acknowledge the intersectionality of oppression and empowerment, understanding that experiences of discrimination are shaped by colonial histories, economic disparities, religion, and cultural contexts.

This commitment extends across all our work, outputs, activities, and our advocacy and external representation.