THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OF WOMEN LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS

We are looking to appoint an

ASIA PACIFIC REGIONAL COORDINATOR

Closing date for applications: August 26, 2004

ICW is the only global network of the 19 million women worldwide
living with HIV. With a fast growing membership (currently almost
4000) across 90 countries, ICW campaigns to promote gender equity,
access to care and treatment, and meaningful involvement of HIV
positive women at all levels of decision making affecting their
lives.

ICW recently agreed to establish Regional Offices and Regional
Coordinator posts. The first of these is now in place in Southern
Africa.

The Asia Pacific Regional Coordinator is a new, senior, full-time
post for an HIV-positive woman who is an experienced networker,
advocate and activist with a track record in capacity building and
facilitating the involvement of HIV positive women in advocacy work.

The location of the post within Asia Pacific is flexible, and may be
in any country in the Asia Pacific region. Access to good
international communications and a willingness to travel are
essential. The contract is initially for 12 months with the
expectation it will be renewed at the end of the period, subject to
funding.

Screening interviews will be held by telephone, with final
shortlisted candidates being interviewed in person in their home
country.

ICW does not currently have an office in Asia Pacific. You will be
expected to organise your own workspace, either renting a desk space
or small office, working from home, or working from a host or
partner organisation in your own country. The salary will be
commensurate with the experience of the selected candidate and
market rates in the relevant location.

Your role is to ensure the development of a strong, dynamic and
active ICW network in the region with the capacity to fully involve
its members in the work of the wider organisation.

You will develop communications with and between members, as well as
with Regional Coordinators in other regions of the world as they are
appointed, and the ICW International Support Office based in London.
You will also develop good working links with APN+ and other
regional and national networks. You will be responsible for piloting
transparent and accountable processes for the selection of ICW
country and regional representatives, as part of our drive to
increase democracy and accountability within the network.

You will work closely with ICW's Asia Pacific-based Trustees, and
report to the International Network Manager based in London.

Your main areas of responsibility will be:

• To increase communications with ICW members in Asia Pacific,
through face to face contact and other communications mechanisms.

• To strengthen members' participation and inclusion in the global
ICW network as a means of increasing the voices of HIV positive
women from the region in support, treatment and advocacy initiatives
at all levels.

• To develop and pilot a transparent and accountable system of
electing HIV positive women as ICW country and regional
representatives in Asia Pacific.

• To develop ICW's Asia Pacific region in consultation with members
in the region, the ICW International Support Office, the Board of
Trustees, and ICW staff in other regions, ensuring that it is fully
integrated into the worldwide ICW network.

• To provide monthly reports to the International Support Office and
the Board of Trustees. This should include financial reports. To
provide donor proposals and reports as required.

• To oversee the establishment of solid financial and funding flow
systems in the region.

• To coordinate and develop ICW projects and workshops within the
Asia Pacific region, in coordination with the Global Sexual and
Reproductive Rights Advocacy Officer (currently based in Durban),
the Global Advocacy Officer on Access to Care, Treatment and Support
(recruitment in process), and other staff across the global network.

• To develop a monitoring and evaluation system for regional
activities.

• To develop mutual support and joint advocacy and policy work with
local and national networks of HIV positive women in the region,
networks of positive people, APN+, and ICW partners such as YWCA,
WAGGGS and others. To encourage the development of national positive
women's networks in countries in the region where these do not exist
already.


Person specification

For this post, the following skills and experience are essential:

Essential:
• Firm commitment to the ethos of ICW.
• Excellent communications skills, both written and verbal and
including project proposal writing skills.
• IT skills, particularlyWord, Excel, email and internet.
• Planning, budgeting and project management skills.
• Influencing skills and interpersonal skills.
• Willingness and availability to travel within the Asia Pacific
region and internationally.
• An understanding of the need to facilitate the involvement of HIV
positive women in advocacy, and experience of training and capacity
building of HIV positive women.
• Sound understanding of international HIV, gender and development
issues and principles of democracy and accountability in a network.
• An understanding of participatory action research or other
participatory approaches.
• Sound understanding of confidentiality and gender issues
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
• Good spoken and written English, knowledge of other languages an
advantage
• National of a country within the Asia Pacific region
• Diagnosed HIV positive
• Public about HIV status

Desirable:
Numeracy skills, including preparing budgets and financial reports,
and demonstrable knowledge of national networks of positive women in
the Asia Pacific region would be an advantage.

Application forms can be downloaded from the ICW website, and should
be returned to ICW by the deadline by email (fionah@...)
marked "ICW ARC 2004". CVs will also be accepted, and should be sent
with a cover letter detailing your suitability and interest in this
post.

For more information on ICW, please refer to our website, www.icw.org