1. Main Purpose of the Job
The Human Rights Advocacy Officer is responsible for promoting, protecting, and advancing the human rights of key populations—specifically MSM and TG individuals—within HIV, public health, and community justice programs. The role involves leading advocacy initiatives, strengthening community empowerment, monitoring rights violations, and engaging government, civil society, and health stakeholders to ensure equitable access to services, legal protections, and non-discriminatory environments. The Advocacy Officer will also be responsible for supporting the advocacy and engagement of stakeholders and players in the district of programme implementation. Manage the engagement of stakeholders, advocacy within the district, sensitisation trainings, human rights defenders and the respective reporting on these issues.
2. Key Performance Areas
Network and advocate for the human rights and needs of KPs
- Develop quarterly advocacy plans for the district and implement them.
- Apply risk and harm reduction principles in advocacy work.
- Advocate for the rights and needs of people who use drugs.
- Working with the programme team, play a key role in the networking and engagement with communities, district stakeholders such as the DoH, PCA and DAC, SAPS and DSD.
- Participate in meetings with programme team to discuss progress and address challenges to continuously improve engagement, advocacy and ensure seamless implementation.
- Identify service gaps for people who inject drugs (PWID), men who have sex with men (MSM), and transgender persons (TGP), and collaborate with the programme teamto develop strategies that address these gaps and incorporate them into the advocacy plan.
- Working with the programme team, ensure the implementation of the operational plan.
- Engage with and build the capacity of the drug network in the district.
- Represent the programme with integrity at meetings and engagements and respond to all programme requests from external parties.
Sensitisation trainings
- Along with the programme team and peer educators, identify stakeholders in district to engage in sensitisation workshops.
- Conduct sensitisation workshops to stakeholders per quarter.
Human rights defenders support and supervision
- Attend the human rights defenders TOT.
- Support and monitor the collection of human rights violations per peer educators.
- Support peer educators in identifying MSM, TGP and PWUD in need of further psychosocial support.
Reporting, Administration and Facilitation
- Support peer educators in completing the human rights tools correctly and accurately.
- Verify reports from peer educators on human rights violations.
- If applicable, write reports.
- Perform related office administration duties of the Programme.
Personal development
- Participate in learning and development opportunities (trainings, workshops, information sessions etc.).
- Stay abreast of developments in the fields of HIV/AIDS, STIs and TB.
Organisational Responsibilities
- Attend meetings, briefings, debriefing, staff meetings and other as directed to do so on a regular basis.
- Additional responsibilities delegated by managers from time to time.
- Represent the organisation with professionalism
Education
Any post-matric certifications in social work, community work or advocacy and communication will be advantageous
Experience
- Minimum 2 years’ experience in advocacy/human rights or programming in the public health or HIV field.
- Experience in conducting trainings and workshops.
- Experience in community-based advocacy and community sensitization for PLHIV and/or key and vulnerable populations.
- Experience in identifying and engaging with community stakeholders
- Driver’s license (Code B)