UN Women Background:

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.

All students that have been selected for a UN Women internship have undergone a rigorous selection process to ensure that the individual’s academic background and skill set best fits the organization’s mandate.

Division Background

The role of the Civil Society Division is to catalyze, promote and facilitate UN Women's engagement with civil society. The Division develops strategies for partnerships with civil society organizations (CSOs), women's rights organizations and networks, and our Civil Society Advisory Groups at the country, regional and global level. The Division also leads the work on supporting civil society movement building, movement protection and solidarity. The Division’s work is anchored in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the Beijing Platform for Action, and focuses on amplifying the principles of leaving no one behind. As such, the Division employs an intersectional approach to its catalytic work.  

UN Women also supports civil society participation in a number of intergovernmental processes, including the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Outreach to non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council assists their contributions to discussions at the Commission on the Status of Women and major international conferences.

Under the supervision of the Civil Society Division, the intern shall perform the following assignments, which may vary in accordance with the priorities of the Division:

• Assist with the strategic outreach to civil society partners (women’s rights organizations, youth led organizations, men and boys’ groups, trade unions, refugee and migrant groups, US and Europe based NGOs, disability organizations, faith-based actors etc.), by researching and mapping of CSO partnerships and initiatives
• Support the Division’s other priority areas including the use of arts advocacy for social justice movement building, research on feminist faith engagement, LGBTI issues etc. as needed
• Assist in preparing meeting notes, briefing notes and talking points for the Division Director and other UN Women senior representatives
• Assist with designing and developing communications outreach products for events (flyers, report covers, brochures etc)
• Assist with social media activities concerning the Civil Society Division via the organization’s specialized social media platforms.  
• Develop faith and youth surveys, analyse and write preliminary reports.

Learning Opportunities

• Increased understanding of UN Women’s work related to global normative processes and public policies.
• Gained knowledge about NGOs working on gender issues and the global Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030 that will stimulate action over the next fifteen years in areas of critical importance for humanity and the planet.
• Familiarity with the role of the Civil Society Division of UN Women, the issues it covers and its collaboration and relationship to other parts of the United Nations system
• Familiarity with the functions of the Commission on the Status of Women and its intergovernmental outcomes, including a set of concrete recommendations for governments, intergovernmental bodies and other institutions, civil society actors and other relevant stakeholders, to be implemented at the international, national, regional and local level.

Core Values: ·

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues ·
• Accountability ·
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example
   

Functional Competencies:

• Analytical and academic research skills
• Ability to think logically and work with great attention to detail;
• Ability to write clearly and concisely;
• Ability to work harmoniously with staff members of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Familiarity with communications, social media and office software suites

 Education:

• The intern must have studies in communications, social science, political science, law, public policies, human development, public administration 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);
• Have graduated with a university degree and, if selected, must commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation.

Language:

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

• Interns are not financially remunerated by UN Women.