Women’s Empowerment and Gender Responsive Budgeting Specialist

Josphine Candiru joined the Pro-PALOP TL program in February 2025, where she leads Gender-Sensitive State Budget Analysis, provides advisory support, and advocacy for Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) and implementation of Gender Seal in Public Institutions. 
Prior to joining Prior to joining the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) under the PALOP-TL regional program, Josphine Candiru  worked with Government, IGAD, UNDP and UNFPA on gender and development aspects,  with UNFPA Worked as Gender and Human Rights Analyst  in Uganda, with UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub- As Sub-Regional Gender Specialist for Samoa MCO, Fiji MCO, Solomon Islands, PNG and Timor Leste – based in Samoa, UNDP Uganda Country office as Gender Specialist, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD\RSS Regional Initiative Project- Phase II South Sudan) as Gender Officer, Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development in Uganda as Senior Women in Development Officer,  Arua District Local Government in Uganda as Community Development Officer. 
Her key skills and expertise are principally in Gender Mainstreaming and Gender Responsive budgeting, GBV programming, Fund code management, project management, Implementing Partner management, donor relation management, UNDP Gender Seal certification, Gender and Climate change, capacity building/training/mentorship on gender and GBV programming.
Josphine holds a master’s degree in development studies- specialized in Population, Poverty and Social Development (2007), from the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague Netherlands. She graduated from Makerere University Kampala, Uganda, in 2001 with a BA degree in Development Studies. From the same university, Josphine graduated with a Post Graduate Diploma in Gender and Local Economic Development in 2011.She is A SURGE Advisor on gender and a member of UNDP Gender Roaster Team.