Human Rights Watch (“HRW”) is seeking highly-qualified applicants for the position of Researcher with the Women’s Rights Division (“WRD”) and the Africa Division.

Description:  The Researcher will work jointly with the Women’s Rights and Africa Divisions of Human Rights Watch to improve awareness and accountability for human rights violations in South Africa  by, among other things, conducting fact-finding missions; writing and publicizing reports, briefing papers, letters, press releases, op-eds, and submissions to international bodies based on the findings; developing and implementing local, regional, and international strategies to change abusive laws, policies, and practices; presenting human rights concerns to government officials, inter-governmental agencies, and the press; and working closely with colleagues in the region to ensure that the work of HRW complements and enhances their own work.

Part of the Researcher’s role will focus specifically on human rights violations committed against women and his or her responsibilities will include monitoring legislative and/or policy developments related to women's rights in Southern Africa and liaising with human rights and women's organizations in the region.

Qualifications:  The ideal candidate should be knowledgeable about international human rights, women’s rights and South African affairs, and will have at least three to five years of directly related post-graduate experience working on women’s human rights and/or human rights, both within South Africa and the Southern Africa region. Experience living in the region is required. 

S/he must have: strong field research and documentation skills; the ability to produce excellent written material under tight deadlines; polished oral and written communication skills; experience in international human rights law; strong advocacy abilities, including experience with face-to-face advocacy with high-level policymakers. The ideal candidate will be fluent in English and at least one other South African language.  S/he should also be able to work under pressure and juggle multiple tasks, be collegial and team-oriented yet able to work independently within two divisions. Creativity, initiative, perseverance and flexibility are required while maintaining HRW’s high standards. An advanced (graduate) degree in international relations, journalism, law, or social sciences is desirable. 

Salary and Benefits:  HRW seeks exceptional applicants and offers competitive compensation and generous employer-paid benefits. HRW will pay reasonable relocation expenses and will assist employees in obtaining necessary work authorization, if required; citizens of all nationalities are encouraged to apply.  

PLEASE APPLY IMMEDIATELY (no calls or email inquiries, please) by emailing in a single submission: a letter of interest describing your experience, your resume, names or letters of reference, salary requirements and a brief, unedited writing sample to hornea@hrw.org.  Please use “South Africa Researcher” as the subject of your email.  Only complete applications will be reviewed.  It is preferred that all materials be submitted via email.  If emailing is not possible, send materials (please do not split a submission between email and regular post) to:

Human Rights Watch
Attn: Search Committee (South Africa Researcher)
2-12 Pentonville Road
London, N1 9HF  

UK
Fax :+44 (0)20 7713 1800  

Human Rights Watch is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in its hiring practices and, in order to build the strongest possible workforce, actively seeks a diverse applicant pool.

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Human Rights Watch is an international human rights monitoring and advocacy organization known for its in-depth investigations, its incisive and timely reporting, its innovative and high-profile advocacy campaigns, and its success in changing the human rights-related policies and practices of influential governments and international institutions.

The Women's Rights Division of Human Rights Watch was established in 1990 to monitor state-sponsored or state-tolerated violence and sex discrimination against women in all regions of the world.  The work of the WRD seeks to expand the scope of human rights work to address abuses against women that traditionally have been overlooked or misunderstood, as well as achieve greater accountability for violations of women’s human rights.  The Africa Division monitors a wide range of human rights violations throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.  Much of the work of both divisions consists of gathering detailed information on individuals who are subjected to abuse and publishing reports that as reliable, comprehensive and timely as possible, so as to effect change in repressive practices and improve respect for human rights.