Journalists For Justice (JFJ) is a non-profit organisation working to advance improved African journalistic capacity for social justice causes and accountability through training and effective online platforms, and social media engagement. The organisation’s vision is to lead in transforming how citizens see, understand, and define justice by providing them with reliable and usable information about how global justice systems work in seeking justice for victims of atrocity crimes, and catalysing their agency to demand accountability.

Job Description

Journalists For Justice is seeking to engage a Gender Fellow to participate in its programmes and online platforms, with special focus on the transitional justice processes currently going on in The Gambia. The Gender Fellow will learn about JFJ’s work and build skills in research; writing news and feature stories, as well as analyses and commentaries; and reporting on events and functions, with emphasis on gender, to help advance the organisation’s goals and aspirations.

The ideal candidate will be passionate about promoting gender issues in the context of social justice and human rights, and the power of modern communications and media to help accomplish these goals. The Gender Fellow will have excellent writing and research skills, and have a good understanding of the concepts of transitional and international justice, and gender.

Duties and Responsibilities

The job will entail attending events on themes related to gender and justice, including those listed below, and researching and writing reports about the functions. These reports will later be produced into news stories, features, commentaries, and news analyses for publication on JFJ’s websites.

• Monitoring men’s and women’s participation in transitional and international justice processes. This will entail identifying potential and existing barriers to participation, and the approaches used to address them in the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission’s (TRRC) conduct of its hearings and recommendations, especially in light of discrimination against women in public affairs and emerging spaces for women’s agency in peace processes.
• Researching the extent to which a gender-sensitive and inclusive lens is applied in transitional and international criminal justice processes. This will involve close monitoring and reporting of cases and related situations to ensure that due consideration is given to adopting effective measures to elicit and understand male and female victims’ varied/distinct experiences of conflict and atrocities, as well as victims’ corresponding needs for justice and reparation, as influenced by gender-based norms, beliefs, and practices.
• Reporting on the broad range of gender-based violations experienced in the context of transitional justice and the TRRC processes. This will entail looking beyond easy-to-define gender crimes such as rape and sexual violence to more insidious violations that include genital mutilation, forced nudity, and forced marriage/sexual slavery. The reporting will also have added focus on violations against other special groups, such as male survivors and members of LGBTIQ communities (if relevant).
• Consider the extent to which the international criminal justice system has treated gendered causes, patterns, and effects of conflict and violations, including whether specific considerations have been put in the TRRC report and recommendations, or if any non-judicial processes have been made to address gender-based discrimination and resulting violations.
• Monitoring global and regional news relating to The Gambia in terms of gender and transitional justice.
• Reporting on conferences, lectures, webinars, and other events hosted (or co-hosted) by JFJ and its partners.

Requirements

• University degree in the fields of research, policy, international relations, journalism and communication, gender, law and justice, political science, or any other related and/or appropriate discipline.
• Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); Be in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent) or a postgraduate professional traineeship programme; Have graduated with a university degree.
• Be prepared to commence the fellowship from July 1, 2022.
• Excellent communication and writing skills in English.

Remuneration and Duration

The Gender Fellow will receive a stipend. This fellowship will be full-time for six months.

How to Apply

All applications should be sent to info@jfjustice.net and jfjusticejobs@gmail.com not later than April 24, 2022 5pm EAT, with the following information:

1. A short sample of your unedited writing (600-800 words).
2. Your CV.

Please specify the position you are applying for (Gender Fellow – The Gambia) in the ‘subject’ line of your email