Background

UN Women grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the eliminiation of discrimination against women and girls, the empowerment of women, and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

Under the direct supervision and guidance of Ms. Yata Mboup-Kande, Special Assistant, Policy and Programme, the intern will assist the Policy and Programme Directorate by: conducting research; drafting substantive inputs; supporting internal and external communications; and assisting in the overall coordination of the work of the Deputy Executive Director.    A work plan with achievements for the duration of the Internship and learning opportunities will be agreed upon.

Duties and Responsibilities

Tasks and responsibilities [Terms of Reference]

• Support and assist the Office of the Deputy Executive Director in managing the DED’s agenda and keeping track of important events, meetings, including through background research on events and invitations addressed to the DED;
• Support the Office of the DED in the review of incoming and outgoing correspondence and refer it to appropriate units/officers;
• Undertake research as required, for papers and analytical studies on policy issues pertaining to women’s rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment;
• Define architecture and nomenclature of shared drive system for the Directorate; support its population with strategic and updated documents;
• Support the drafting of and/or review substantive correspondence as well as edit briefing notes, meetings notes prepared by others, notes for the file and presentations.

Competencies

Core Values and Guiding Principles:

Integrity

• Demonstrates consitistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.

Profesionalism:

• Demonstrates professonal competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substative areas of work;
• Demonstrates commitment to UN Women’s mission, vision and values.

Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity:

• Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff;
• Demonstrate an international outlook of, appreciating difference in vlaues and learning from cultural diversity.

Functional competencies:

• Strong academic background in international development social sciences, development studies, communications, or other related field;
• Strong interpersonal and communication (verbal, listening, writing) skills;
• Ability to think and work logically, precisely, and with attention to detail;
• Adheres to deadlines and follows up on time-bound issues;
• Maintains diplomacy, tact and strict confidentiality with internal and external partners and clients;
• Initiative, sound judgment and demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with staff members of different national and cultural backgrounds.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent or higher); and, if selected, must commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation.

Experience:

• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and in handling web-based information/management systems.

Language:

• Excellent communication skills (written and oral) in English are required;
• Working knowldege of another UN language a distinct advantage.

Interns are not financially remunerated by UN Women.

Learning Elements:

Increased understanding of UN Women’s work and the UN system

Learning different aspects of work in a Directorate, with a specific focus on gender equality and women’s empowerment, within the UN System and in an international environment:

• Meeting and networking with UN Women colleagues in other units;
• Work as a team member in a multicultural setting.