Call for Applications: Board of Directors for the Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW)-Kenya

Introduction

The Board of Directors of the Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW) – Kenya is tasked with the responsibility of providing strategic leadership, guidance and governance to ensure that COVAW realizes its mission to champion for the rights of women and girls to be free from all forms of violence.

About the organization

Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW) is a national non-profit women’s rights organization that was established in 1995 to respond to the silence of the Kenyan society in addressing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). The origin of COVAW is traced to a workshop by Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF), which identified two critical areas that no actor was addressing, which were VAWG and the limited number of women in key leadership positions. The workshop underscored the need to form a coalition that would address these problems, thus the establishment of COVAW.

Over the years, COVAW has invested in empowering women and girls to claim their rights; enabling equitable access to services, resources, and opportunities; facilitating greater access to justice for survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV); and supporting change agents opposed to and committed to the eradication of all forms of VAWG.

COVAW’s vision is a society where women and girls enjoy equal rights, freedoms and thrive in safe spaces. Our mission is to champion for the rights of women and girls to be free from all forms of violence.

COVAW’s Strategic Plan 2024-2028 focuses on four strategic areas which are:

1.Mitigation and response to Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV); The purpose is to reduce the prevalence of SGBV, increase access to appropriate SGBV responses and improve the quality of life of survivors of SGBV.

2. Access to comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services. This strategic pillar focuses on increasing access to SRH information and life-saving SRHR services for women and girls such as post abortion care.

3. Access to justice (legal, climate, economic and gender justice). The focus is to enhance access to justice for survivors of SGBV by providing pro bono legal aid services and strengthening the policy and legal frameworks for women and girls especially those with disability. In addition, COVAW will seek to protect the vulnerable groups from the impacts of climate change and increase access and control over economic resources by women and girls and enhancing recognition and value of unpaid care work in policies.

4. Women’s leadership and governance: The emphasis is to increase women’s occupation and meaningful participation in leadership and political process at all levels across all sectors.

COVAW is registered as a non-governmental organization under the NGO Coordination Act now the Public Benefits Organization Act.

The Opportunity

In 2025, COVAW is seeking new board members. Candidates with experience and an interest in Finance, Access to Justice, Organizational Development, Resource Mobilization, and Communications are particularly desirable. Board members will be appointed for an initial three-year term, with a default option of continuing for another three years with the board’s approval. COVAW is committed to diversity and inclusion. The diversity of the resulting board’s composition will be considered when selecting new board members.

Note: This is not a paid position. It is purely voluntary.

Board Composition

The Board excluding the Secretary shall consist of a minimum of five and a maximum of seven members. The members of the Board at all times are female as guided by COVAW Governance Manual.

The COVAW Board of Directors is a diverse group of leaders from across the non-profit, academic, and justice sectors in Kenya. The board draws from the collective knowledge and experience of its members, drawn from diverse sectors of law, international relations, gender and development, finance, organizational development, advocacy, media and public relations, civil society strengthening, good governance, and corporate strategy to provide oversight, governance, and strategic direction to COVAW.

The Role of the Board of Directors

The role of the board involves: Providing Strategic Leadership direction and vision; Participating in the development, review, and approval of the organization’s strategic plan; Governance and Oversight to ensure adherence to COVAW’s policies; Oversee financial management, including approval of budgets and financial statements; Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; Support the Organization’s fundraising efforts by leveraging personal and professional networks; Policy Development and Oversight.

The board’s role is strictly limited to governance, with COVAW’s day-to-day operational responsibilities in the hands of the COVAW management team, led by the Executive Director and staff. Specifically, the role of Board members include:

• Setting strategic direction for COVAW, including reviewing the annual strategic plan presented by the Executive Director;
• Overseeing the Executive Director, including hiring, termination, performance review, and remuneration;
• Adopting an annual budget;
• Approving changes to organizational policies;
• Advising the Executive Director on matters arising outside of the strategic plan;
• Ensuring compliance with relevant policies, laws, and regulations; and
• Assisting the Executive Director with fundraising and networking on an as-needed basis.
• Serve as a mentor and sounding board to the Executive Director and the Senior Management Team (SMT) as needed.
• Assist the Executive Director in developing executive personal development plans, and assist in assessing personal development opportunities for the ED and Senior Management staff.

The Role of Individual Board Members

Board members are expected to demonstrate a deep commitment to COVAW’s mission. They serve as ambassadors for the organization in their spaces. Service on the Board of Directors requires:

• Attendance at in-person or virtual board meetings four times per year;
• Attendance at ad hoc virtual board gatherings in between quarterly meetings, as needed;
• Appropriate preparation in advance of all board meetings;
• Responding to discussions on the Board’s internal communication platforms;
• Participation on at least one of the Board Committees, which typically involves occasional email list discussion and occasional virtual meetings.
• Compliance with the COVAW policies, including the conflict of interest policy.

Meetings

The Board shall meet at least on a quarterly basis with additional meetings as required. All Board members are expected to participate in all Board meetings. Decisions shall be made by majority vote of those present.

Term and Renewal

Board members shall serve a term of three years, with the possibility of renewal for one additional term. Terms of Board members shall be staggered to ensure continuity.

Required Skills

To complement the existing board members, COVAW is seeking candidates with the following skills, experience, or qualities:

• Experience in board or nonprofit leadership and/or strategic planning;
• Senior level fundraising experience.
• Ability to leverage a network of contacts within the Women’s Rights movement, academic, media or nonprofit sectors to create new opportunities for COVAW;
• Management of senior leaders and managers, including capacity to mentor and coach; or
• Commitment to influencing change in sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) issues for women and girls.