Musawah (www.musawah.org) is a global movement for equality and justice in the Muslim family that advances rights for women living in Muslim contexts, in both their public and private lives. Launched in February 2009 at a Global Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, that was attended by over 250 women and men from some 50 countries of Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and the Pacific, we act to strengthen the movement, build knowledge and advocate for change in discriminatory laws and practices.
Musawah launched the global Campaign for Justice in Muslim Family Laws (CFJ) in May 2021. Following advances in Musawah’s International Advocacy (IA) work with CEDAW and other international treaty bodies, the Campaign was launched to build a movement for family law reform in partnership with national and regional level activists and organizations.
Musawah is currently seeking a Consultant for the Campaign for Justice (‘CFJ Consultant’) in Muslim Family Laws based in the Global South to manage the Campaign. In addition to leading Campaign related activities, the CFJ Consultant will work closely with Musawah Regional Programme Officers and the Programme teams in the areas of Knowledge Building, Capacity Building and Outreach, International Advocacy, Communications and other areas of the Secretariat. S/he will report directly to the Programmes Director.
Main responsibilities in the role will include:
i. Organising and Mobilising at National, Regional and Global Levels
- Develop and implement the global strategy and work plan for the Campaign for Justice in Muslim Family Laws (CFJ), according to Musawah’s overall Theory of Change and Framework for Action;
- Align regional strategies in South and Southeast Asia (S/SEA), Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) regions to build a movement for Muslim Family Law reform, in coordination with the Regional Programme Officers;
- Engage civil society actors, practitioners and policymakers, identify key thematic topics and entry points for each region and target countries, and respond to national and regional level needs for knowledge resources, trainings, and advocacy strategies;
- Coordinate with Musawah’s International Advocacy (IA) Programme Officer to support progress towards equality in family laws at the national and regional levels;
- Represent Musawah at national, regional and international meetings with partners, trainings and workshops, and maintain comprehensive documentation of these events in shared drive and AirTable;
- Engage with national and regional NGOs and UN agencies working with the international system to advance women’s rights in the family, in particular those engaged with religion, culture and tradition.
- Engage and coordinate with the Global Campaign for Equality in Family Laws.
ii. Advocacy and Capacity Building on Muslim family laws
- Work closely with the Capacity Building Programme Officer (PO) and regional PO’s in designing and implementing events, capacity building sessions and global, regional and national level workshops on family law reform;
- Engage with regional and international mechanisms to amplify the issue of discrimination under Muslim family laws and advocate the possibility of reform towards equality and justice.
- iii. Research, Knowledge Building and Communications
Manage Musawah’s global repository on Muslim family laws, coordinate research projects related to Muslim family laws globally; - In collaboration with the Communications team, develop and implement a communications strategy to raise awareness and build public support for the campaign.
iv. MEL and Fundraising
- Monitor the Campaign budget;
- Track and record progress and achievements;
- Provide inputs into drafting funding proposals;
- Ensure all reports on the Campaign, including monitoring and evaluation, are prepared;
- Monitor and evaluate the impact and results of Musawah’s activities under the project and ensure clear and comprehensive documentation is kept;
- Develop quarterly impact reports to support Musawah’s reporting and engagement needs.
v. Secretariat Support
- Participate in Secretariat and other meetings (virtual and in-person);
- Represent Musawah at various national, regional and international meetings;
- Contribute to the needs of the Secretariat, and assist other Secretariat members in any relevant work;
- Support the Secretariat with any administrative, logistics or backend work during Musawah organised training courses and/or events.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
The small team working with the Musawah Secretariat are not so much ‘staff’ as activists and professionals who are deeply committed to Musawah’s principles and who work together to advance Musawah. In this position, you would be expected to be mainly self-managing and self-motivated, contributing effectively to Musawah.
As Musawah addresses equality and justice in the Muslim family, the majority of those leading Musawah and those working in the Secretariat are expected to have personal experience of Muslim family laws or practices.
The CFJ Consultant should be able to meet most of the following:
- Bachelor’s degree in law or relevant social sciences. Master’s and/or JD degrees are an added advantage;
- Knowledge of family laws and experience of living or working in Muslim contexts is preferred;
- At least five to seven years experience in the women’s movement, law and policy reform, or supporting grassroots and national-level activism in two or more countries in South and Southeast Asia (SA/SEA), Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) or Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA);
- At least three years experience with campaign management or coordinating national, regional or global programmes or projects, with proven ability to develop, implement and evaluate impact of activities;
- Experience in working with regional or global organizations/networks or with international human rights mechanisms is an asset;
- Strong networking and interpersonal skills, with a “can do” attitude and a team player with proven ability to work collaboratively in global and virtual teams;
- Strong sensitivity and respect to diversity related to beliefs, perspectives, cultures, geography, and sexuality;
Fluency in English, with effective writing and communication skills. - Fluency in Arabic or one or more languages from the global South is an advantage;
- Experience with and/or willingness to learn Google Suite, social media platforms and online advocacy tools (Canva, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, Linkedin,HootSuite, etc.); website management (WordPress); customer relationship management and email marketing (Airtable and Mailchimp a plus); Zoom video conferencing; and other digital tools as needed;
- Passionate belief in the vision, mission and objectives of Musawah, knowledge of issues related to women, gender and Islam, and a commitment to women’s human rights and a global feminist perspective.
- Strong organizational skills including time management to juggle priorities, with an eye for detail and reporting.
Location, Salary and Benefits
Musawah offers a competitive salary and benefits scheme, appropriate for such a position in the non-profit sector, dependent upon experience and qualifications.
The successful candidate can be located in the country based in the Global South which he/she has full working rights. Relocating to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to be based in the Musawah Secretariat is an option.
How to Apply
Kindly fill in the Job Application Form and attach these following documents:
- A cover letter that expresses your particular interest and fit to work in an organisation like Musawah;
- A current CV;
- Contact information for at least two references
Applications are requested as soon as possible, and interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis.
Salary range: USD 1,800 – USD 2,300/month
The application closing date is 14 April 2024.
We thank all those who apply; only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.