Unit/ Project Background:

Web team / Comms / HQ

Learning Objectives:

1. Increased understanding of UN Women’s work and the UN system;

2. Improved understanding of internal workings of Communications and Advocacy division of UN Women;

3. Increased awareness of UN Women web relations and news processes and enhanced skills in writing web content for an international audience;

4. Learning about the work of gender equality and women’s empowerment in an international environment;

5. Meeting and networking with UN Women colleagues in other units;

6. Work as a team member in a multicultural setting.

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination 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. 

Description of Responsibilities & Learning Objectives

Under the direct supervision and guidance of Urjasi Rudra, Web Editor, the intern will assist the Communications and Advocacy team with writing, editing, producing and posting content on the UN Women website and related platforms. A work plan with achievements for the duration of the Internship and learning opportunities will be agreed upon.

Writing or editing content for the UN Women website

• Keeping abreast of relevant news and UN Women activities or programmes in the field, suggesting topics for news or feature story coverage
• Attending events and writing news or feature stories for the website
• Assisting with proofreading, editing, and writing blurbs as needed

Web production on the UN Women website and cross posting

• The intern will post content, including photos and other media, on both websites, and/or cross-post web content on other fora
• Support editorial/web production for special events and key occasions, such as the Commission on the Status of Women in March
• Other tasks as requested by the Communications team

Core Values and Guiding Principles:

Integrity:

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

Professionalism:

• Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work.

Respect for diversity:

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

Core Competencies:

Accountability

• Held colleagues and team members accountable for planned goals and competency standards;
• Practiced giving and receiving constructive feedback.

Client Orientation

• Proactively informed clients, preventing loss of time and errors;
• Responded to questions, resolved problems, and helped provide accurate information to clients;
• Identified, understood, and addressed client needs.

Commitment to Learning

• Learned about agency, its processes, structure, challenges, and environment;
• Contributed to knowledge sharing.

Communication

• Produced communication products (written and oral);
• Interpreted key messages for and from clients with cultural sensitivity.

Planning and Organizing

• Developed work plans;
• Implemented activities in a timely manner, met deadlines.

Teambuilding

• Coordinated work and roles with other team members;
• Supported goals of the team;
• Demonstrate informed and transparent decision making.

Functional Competencies:

• Proficiency in reading and writing French or Spanish;
• Strong writing and editing skills, attention to spelling and ability to follow style guides;
• Proficiency in using new technologies, content management systems and web-based platforms. Knowledge of HTML, other scripts and web design are a plus;
• Familiarity with women’s rights issues or international development/relations;
• Communications, teamwork, planning and organizing, creativity and technological awareness;
• Self-starters and team players, who are able to balance multiple responsibilities;
• Preference will be given to candidates with, or pursuing, a Master’s or advanced university degree programme in any field.

Education:

• The intern must have studied in journalism, communications or other similar subject at the university level;
• Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor's level or equivalent); or have graduated with a university degree and, if selected, must commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation.

Experience:

• Experience working in either journalism or institutional communications and experience with web writing and publishing;

Language:

• Excellent communication skills (written and oral) in English are required;
• Working knowledge of another UN language a distinct advantage;
• Preference will be given to candidates also fluent in French and/or Spanish.

Interns are not financially remunerated by UN Women.

Application Information:

• UN Women will only be able to respond to those applications in which there is further interest;
• Selected applicants must provide the internship application, two letters of recommendation, proof of health insurance and school enrollment, passport, and visa (if applicable).

Note:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Application process:

Please submit the following documents by 14th November to urjasi.rudra@unwomen.org:

UN Women Internship Programme Application Form, available here

• Cover letter
• Resume
• 2 writing samples (ideally on women’s issues)
• 2 letters of recommendation

Once the candidate has been selected, the following additional documents need to be submitted:

• Letter of enrollment from school/ college
• Scanned visa document/scanned passport document if no visa is required
• Scanned medical insurance document

Note: Candidates are responsible for obtaining their own work permit for the United States of America.

UN Women Internship Policy:

• Applicants to the United Nations internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:
• Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent) or;
• Have graduated with a university degree (as above) and, if selected, must commence the internship within one year.
• UN Women internship programme does not provide a salary or remuneration for the internship;
• All the expenses connected with the internship will be borne by the intern, sponsoring Government or institution;
• UN Women accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness or death incurred during the internship;
• The intern is responsible for obtaining necessary visas and arranging travel to and from the duty station where the internship will be performed;
• The intern must provide proof of enrollment in a health insurance plan, proof of school enrollment, a scanned copy of his/her passport, two letters of recommendation, and application.