The Department for Gender, Rights, Equity and Diversity (GRED), situated in the Director General’s Office, supports and catalyzes the integration of gender equality, human rights and equity perspectives in WHO at global, regional and country levels in line with the commitment to leave no one behind. Using a twin-track approach, GRED Department promotes systematic change embedded in WHO’s policies and practices, making GRED a core part of the health agenda, and by delivering targeted interventions for populations living in vulnerable and often marginalized situations to prevent a one-size-fits-all approach. The programme works closely with an organization-wide network of gender equality, human rights, health equity and DEI focal points. It collaborates across the UN and multilateral system on related topics and represents the Organization in external activities on these issues.

To drive this, the GRED Department developed the Roadmap for the WHO Secretariat to Advance Gender Equality, Human Rights, and Health Equity, which outlines strategic priorities for capacity building, knowledge management, and mainstreaming these principles across the organization. WHO is now entering a critical phase of implementing this plan to equip its workforce to integrate GRED principles effectively across all programs and levels. The GRED Department has also developed WHO’s DEI strategy through a fully participatory organization-wide process.

Deliverables

GRED Learning Modules

Deliverable 1.1: Co-design a series of e-learning modules, facilitator guides, and assessments in partnership with WHO Academy, tailored for various WHO workforce segments, including senior leadership, technical staff, program managers, and country office teams.
Expected by October 2025

GRED Knowledge Management

Deliverable 2.1: Identify and advise on key knowledge areas, tools, and resources to be integrated into WHO’s knowledge management efforts, ensuring these resources are relevant to global and regional initiatives promoting GRE principles and approaches.
Expected by October 2025

Deliverable 2.2: Develop action plans, lessons learned and case studies, to increase the engagement of WHO staff, Member States, and partners in GRED capacity-strengthening and knowledge outreach activities and the effective dissemination of tools, resources, and lessons learned.
Expected by October 2025

GRED Certification Programme

Deliverable 3.1: Design, adapt and roll out a certification programme for WHO business units, including training content, interactive toolkit and assessments, which provides different streams/levels based on varying needs and operational structures at global, regional and country levels. The certification programme should be aligned with the WHO accountability frameworks and obligations.
Expected by October 2025.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications

Essential:

Advanced university degree in social or political sciences, public health, education or law.

Experience

Essential:

5 to 10 years of experience in international development, public health, policy development, or related fields, including at least 3 years of relevant experience in adult learning, training course development, or project management, as well as in one or more of the following areas: health equity, gender equality, or human rights.

Desirable:

Previous experience in leading and managing learning initiatives within the United Nations system.

Skills/Knowledge

Expertise in knowledge management, capacity strengthening, communications skills, and management skills.

Languages and level required

Essential:

Expert knowledge of English

Desirable:

Intermediate knowledge of another UN official language