Gender and Land Tenure Specialist, Consultant – Full Time
Lilongwe, Malawi
Contracted to Full Time
Experienced
Title: Gender and Land Tenure Specialist
Contract Type: Consultant – Full Time
Location: Malawi (Lilongwe)
Start Date: Sept 1, 2026
Contract Duration: 12 Months
Background Information
Landesa is an international NGO, working to secure land rights for the world’s poor, rural women, and men. Since its founding in the 1960s at the University of Washington School of Law, Landesa has partnered with governments and stakeholders to benefit people who are experiencing poverty; whose identity and livelihoods depend on rural land, forests, or coastal areas; who lack formalized land and resource rights, are not able to fully benefit from those rights, or who are vulnerable to losing those rights. In 1981, Landesa became an independent nonprofit organization and has grown over the past five decades in its reach and impact. Recognizing the impact that secure land tenure rights for individuals and communities has on increasing women’s empowerment, Landesa employs innovative approaches to increase their access to and control of land, and natural resources in an equitable and inclusive way.
We are committed to a future in which all women and men who depend on land have secure, legal land rights – one of the most powerful tools for lifting oneself, one’s family, and one’s community out of poverty. To achieve our vision, we partner with governments, civil society, and companies to develop pro-poor and gender-sensitive laws, policies and programs that have helped strengthen land rights for more than 720 million people in the last 5 years. Since our founding, we have worked in more than 65 countries throughout the world, and currently have offices in the U.S. (Seattle, Washington and Washington, DC), China, India, Liberia, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, and setting up in Malawi.
Scope of Services
This role supports the implementation of the “Securing Women’s Land Project” in Malawi. The overarching goals for this position include informing public discourse on women’s land rights in the context of customary land formalization; influencing policy reforms and programmatic interventions to advance gender equity and social inclusion; strengthening capacity to gather, analyze, validate, and use gender disaggregated data collected to track progress on land rights, key national and regional commitments. This position also involves mobilizing and facilitating convenings of government officers, private sector, customary authorities, local community-led organizations, and other development stakeholders to advance national strategy for gender equality and women’s land rights; engage in advocacy and communications efforts targeting national, sub-regional and regional governmental bodies to advance women’s land rights, inclusive land governance, and rural development.
Reporting
The consultant reports to the Africa Region Director and expected to work closely with the Sr. Land Tenure Specialist, and other Landesa staff.
Availability
The Land Tenure Specialist is expected to work a standard workweek of 40 hours, plus additional hours as may be necessary to complete work. The position requires local travel within Malawi and limited regional and international travel. Due to time-zone differences between Malawi and Landesa offices in other geographies including Nairobi, Seattle and Washington DC, flexibility in working hours will be required from time to time.
Key Responsibilities
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Education and Experience
Contract Type: Consultant – Full Time
Location: Malawi (Lilongwe)
Start Date: Sept 1, 2026
Contract Duration: 12 Months
Background Information
Landesa is an international NGO, working to secure land rights for the world’s poor, rural women, and men. Since its founding in the 1960s at the University of Washington School of Law, Landesa has partnered with governments and stakeholders to benefit people who are experiencing poverty; whose identity and livelihoods depend on rural land, forests, or coastal areas; who lack formalized land and resource rights, are not able to fully benefit from those rights, or who are vulnerable to losing those rights. In 1981, Landesa became an independent nonprofit organization and has grown over the past five decades in its reach and impact. Recognizing the impact that secure land tenure rights for individuals and communities has on increasing women’s empowerment, Landesa employs innovative approaches to increase their access to and control of land, and natural resources in an equitable and inclusive way.
We are committed to a future in which all women and men who depend on land have secure, legal land rights – one of the most powerful tools for lifting oneself, one’s family, and one’s community out of poverty. To achieve our vision, we partner with governments, civil society, and companies to develop pro-poor and gender-sensitive laws, policies and programs that have helped strengthen land rights for more than 720 million people in the last 5 years. Since our founding, we have worked in more than 65 countries throughout the world, and currently have offices in the U.S. (Seattle, Washington and Washington, DC), China, India, Liberia, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, and setting up in Malawi.
Scope of Services
This role supports the implementation of the “Securing Women’s Land Project” in Malawi. The overarching goals for this position include informing public discourse on women’s land rights in the context of customary land formalization; influencing policy reforms and programmatic interventions to advance gender equity and social inclusion; strengthening capacity to gather, analyze, validate, and use gender disaggregated data collected to track progress on land rights, key national and regional commitments. This position also involves mobilizing and facilitating convenings of government officers, private sector, customary authorities, local community-led organizations, and other development stakeholders to advance national strategy for gender equality and women’s land rights; engage in advocacy and communications efforts targeting national, sub-regional and regional governmental bodies to advance women’s land rights, inclusive land governance, and rural development.
Reporting
The consultant reports to the Africa Region Director and expected to work closely with the Sr. Land Tenure Specialist, and other Landesa staff.
Availability
The Land Tenure Specialist is expected to work a standard workweek of 40 hours, plus additional hours as may be necessary to complete work. The position requires local travel within Malawi and limited regional and international travel. Due to time-zone differences between Malawi and Landesa offices in other geographies including Nairobi, Seattle and Washington DC, flexibility in working hours will be required from time to time.
Key Responsibilities
- Stakeholder engagement and partnerships
- Work closely with the Sr. Land Tenure Specialist, Landesa project staff at national, regional, and global level, and in collaboration with Project partners: WOLREC, WLA, and CYECE in implementing the “Securing Women’s Land Rights Project in Malawi” funded by Irene M. Staehelin Foundation.
- Foster collaborative relationships with key stakeholders in government, private sector, customary authorities, civil society including the community-led organization, women, men, and the youth to advance inclusive and equitable land governance including in securing women’s land rights in customary land registration, land policy and legislative reforms, and other relevant sectors.
- Map existing national, sub-regional and regional networks, complementary and cross-sectoral initiatives to strengthen national and regional networking, learning and knowledge exchange among project partners and stakeholders at national and international level.
- Gender Equality and Social Inclusion
- Provide technical leadership in the integration of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) approaches in all projects.
- In collaboration with project partners, provide technical support in planning, designing, and implementing strategies for integrating GESI towards securing women’s land rights in customary land registration.
- Provide technical leadership in the design and execution of GESI assessments, monitoring, and evaluation of project outcomes.
- Undertake technical reviews of project documents, training curriculums and materials, and legislative materials to profile gaps and provide specific recommendations to strengthen social inclusion, gender equality and women’s rights provisions.
- Capacity strengthening
- Facilitate access to and convene trainings and learning workshops for project partners, government representatives, the private sector, civil society actors, traditional authorities, and community members to raise awareness, influence behaviors and attitude towards securing women’s land rights for inclusive land governance.
- Support national and international peer learning and exchange programs between project stakeholders as may be required from time to time to support learning and information sharing.
- Develop and provide technical inputs to communication materials targeted to various audiences and recommend use of appropriate media such as radio program as a tool for information dissemination land rights laws and legislations including those that secure women’s land rights to members of public.
- Design and implement other capacity development initiatives as may be required from time to time to advance project work.
- Monitoring and learning
- Review the M&E needs and plans for the project, design and extract relevant indicators to monitor the project gendered outcomes.
- Establish an effective data collection system and reporting forms for capturing quantitative and qualitative information and implement the established M&E system in collaboration with partners.
- Implement the established M&E system during the project life cycle.
- In coordination with Landesa Research, Evaluation and Learning (REL) staff, facilitate efforts that enhance existing data collection processes, data analysis, and presentation to showcase project progress, inform key decisions, and profiles key outcomes.
- Communications and advocacy
- Develop and disseminate communications and outreach materials such as op-eds, briefs, policy documents, newsletters, infographics, websites, and social media in close cooperation with Landesa communications and advocacy program staff.
- Document and share project reports, policy briefs, significant change stories and testimonials regularly, and in liaison with Landesa communication team.
- Other responsibilities
- Support Landesa’s senior management and other staff to develop funding proposals and budgets.
- Perform other duties as assigned by Africa Region Director or her designate.
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- A deep commitment to the mission of a better, safer future for the world’s poorest people through secure land rights for women, men, and local communities. Commitment to Landesa’s core values.
- Research, analysis, synthesis, and writing abilities that have been developed to a level that permits to work independently and lead Landesa projects.
- Strong problem-solving and interpersonal skills.
- Strong oral presentation skills and an ability to disseminate policy recommendations at the community level, government officials, traditional authorities, CSOs, private sector actor, development agencies and other others.
- Familiarity with land policy and legislative frameworks in Malawi, economic, social, agricultural, environmental, institutional, and geographic concepts that can be applied to secure women’s land rights, and rural development sector.
- Ability to develop concrete work plans and manage tasks, work in teams, and other elements so that work is performed according to agreed budgets, schedules, delivery requirements.
- Ability to manage documents and correspondence, track, and report on projects, and carry out other administrative tasks efficiently, routinely, and in conformance to Landesa standards and procedures.
- Ability to work collaboratively with a range of people at all levels, including those from governmental and non-governmental organizations, and other counterparts, clients, and funders.
- Ability to demonstrate cross-cultural sensitivity, tact, and poise.
- Ability to lead and work collaboratively as a member of the Malawi project team, through consensus building, communication, and support.
- Exceptional ability to communicate in writing and orally in English and local languages.
Education and Experience
- Required: Advanced degree (or equivalent experience) in gender studies, social sciences, development studies, law, in a land discipline and natural resource governance, or related field.
- At least 8 years of relevant professional experience in gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) programming including managing and or implementing a women’s land rights project is a plus.
- Demonstrated experience developing GESI training manuals/ curricula and materials reviews and validating them with government and civil society stakeholders.
- Experience designing and conducting GESI assessments and applying findings to program design, implementation, monitoring, and learning, including the development and use of gender-sensitive indicators and gender-disaggregated data.
- Extensive experience in integrating GESI in land governance, land administration and management; land policy research and analysis, design and implementation of land, agriculture, environment and rural development interventions, and women economic empowerment projects.
- Monitoring, evaluation, learning, and data skills, including experience strengthening data collection and analysis processes, interpreting gender-disaggregated data, documenting results, and translating evidence into recommendations.
- Strong facilitation skills and experience delivering training to government counterparts, traditional leadership structures, community members, and CSOs.
- Strong report writing and documentation skills
- Willingness and ability to travel within Malawi and regionally, as required for communities and other stakeholder engagement, learning exchanges, and other project activities.
- Required: Malawi Nationals only.
Apply for this position
Required*