Sonke Gender Justice NPC is offering an exciting opportunity to individuals who wish to make a mark in the sector through serving on its Board.
About Sonke
Founded in 2006, Sonke is a womxn’s rights organisation that is committed to feminist principles, using a rights-based and gender transformative approach to achieve human rights and gender justice. Our visions is a world in which womxn, children, men and gender non-conforming individuals enjoy equitable, caring, healthy and happy relationships that contribute to the development of gender just and democratic societies free from poverty. Sonke strengthens governments, civil society and citizen’s capacity to advance gender justice and womxn’s rights, prevent gender-based violence, and reduce the spread of HIV and the impact of AIDS, and in this way contributing to social justice and the elimination of poverty.
About this position
The Board has a governance responsibility and works to hold management accountable for practical implementation of its responsibilities. It is not to be involved in the daily running of the organisation. According to the Independent Code of Governance for Non-Profit Organisations in South Africa: “It is the responsibility of the Board to ensure that the vision, purpose, and values of an organisation are clearly defined and instilled throughout the organisation; that they are formally recorded in writing; and that they are reviewed at regular intervals, to ensure that they remain relevant, and are ‘owned’ and carried into effect at all levels of the organisation. A critical responsibility of the Board is to ensure commitment to accountability and transparency. It is the Board’s responsibility not only to monitor expenditures and appropriation of funds, but also to ensure that the organisation remains adequately funded; and that it will be in a position to meet its anticipated costs and commitments to employees, beneficiaries and, importantly, to SARS.”
The core function of the board includes:
- leadership (providing strategic direction);
- oversight (holding management and staff to performance targets);
- responsibility (ensuring compliance at all levels);
- ethics (ensuring that delivery and conduct comply with moral values);
- accountability (evaluating work against the organisation’s mission);
- transparency (keeping the public and others informed about the work), and
- succession planning (the recruitment, orientation and capacity building of new Board members).
The main responsibilities of the board include:
- In consultation with staff and management, determine the organisation’s mission and vision;
- Work with management and staff to develop a strategic plan for the organisation;
- Annual review and sign off on an annual operational plan and budget in alignment with the strategic plan and the financial needs of the organisation;
- Annual acceptance and authorization of the annual Audited Financial Statements;
- Annual acceptance and authorization of the Annual Report;
- Assessing organizational progress against the previous year’s goals;
- Ensure effective organisational planning;
- Ensure adequate resources and the effective management of resources;
- Determine and monitor the organisation’s programs and services;
- Enhance the organisation’s public image;
- Serve as a court of appeal;
- Recruitment of Executive Director/s through an appropriate process;
- Provide support to the Co-Executive Directors to enable them to direct the day-to-day affairs of the organisation.
- Regularly evaluate the Co-Executive Directors with reference to goals set jointly by the Board and the Co-Executive Director
- Create a constructive relationship between the Board and the Co-Executive Directors;
- Develop a Board recruitment strategy to recruit the most suitable persons to the Board. This strategy must be followed up with an induction plan for new Board members;
- Ensure Board continuity and develop thorough hand over processes;
- Assess its own performance;
- Actively develop and implement strategies for building the capacity of Board members through training and development.
- Attend two to three board meetings in a year and respond to communication as needed.
Requirements
The board is searching for individuals with experience in the following areas: gender, GBV, HIV, child rights and positive parenting and SRHR. Individuals who have legal, academic, communications, finance, human resources and resource mobilisation experience are encouraged to apply.
Board members are expected to attend at least two board meetings in a year. Members of the Board are encouraged to participate in sub-committees, undertake special investigations and provide expert advice in areas of their disciplines and experience. Sonke currently has an Audit, Risk and Finance Committee as well as a Human Resources Board sub-committee in place.
In addition the following will be considered when recruiting Board members:
- Diversity;
- Representatives from women’s rights organisations;
- Youth representation;
- People living with HIV and AIDS;
- Representatives from refugee and migrant communities;
- Representatives from other African countries;
- People living with disabilities;
- People from the LGBTQI community.
This position is not remunerated.
