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.
The year 2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the Fourth UN World Conference on Women and adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), the international blueprint for gender equality and women’s empowerment. Despite the commitments made in Beijing to take strategic, bold action in twelve critical areas of concern, and some ensuing progress in these areas, not a single country today can claim to have achieved gender equality. The Beijing Platform for Action’s 25th anniversary commemoration is therefore a rallying point to finally achieve the human rights of all women and girls and will be a moment for global mobilization. In that context, UN Women is convening the Generation Equality Forum (GEF), a global gathering for gender equality, co-chaired by France and Mexico, with the leadership and partnership of civil society. The GEF is a civil society–centered, dialogue-based, and multi-stakeholder global gathering for gender equality, fundamentally rooted in the same logic that made the momentous advance of the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action possible twenty-five years ago. Kicking off in Mexico City, Mexico, and culminating in Paris, France, in the first half of 2021, the Forum will launch a set of concrete, ambitious, and transformative actions to achieve immediate and irreversible progress towards gender equality: The Action Coalition.
The Public Conversation strategy will inform the forums and support the design of inclusive, inter-generational and impactful Action Coalitions. Technology will be leveraged to allow access to all women across the world. Making the Forum technologically accessible throughout the world and having civil society and feminist youth voices leading it, are crucial and critical aspects that make this Forum unique. Major funders have provided resources to develop a collaborative and innovative online platform for individuals to engage with the GEF from around the globe. These public conversations will inform the outcomes of the Generation Equality Forum as well as the Action Coalition blueprints.
The GEF Secretariat is seeking an intern to support the implementation of the strategy, moderate the virtual discussions on the platform and ensure that the public is meaningfully engaged in the Generation Equality Forum.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the overall guidance of the Head of the Generation Equality Forum Secretariat and direct supervision of the Public Conversations Consultant, the Intern will work in close collaboration with the Generation Equality Forum Secretariat, ensuring timely support in carrying out proper processes and activities related to the Public Conversations as well as other cross-cutting areas of event moderation, reporting and monitoring, and program management.
The intern is expected to undertake the following specific tasks:
- Draft content on the Action Coalitions and other GEF processes for the online platform;
- Assist in aggregating reports on virtual participation and engagement;
- Compile summaries of virtual events and discussions to be shared with the governing body of the Generation Equality Forum;
- Moderate discussion groups on gender justice issues, including but not limited to: indigenous rights, LGBTI+ issues, disability rights, and so on;
- Prepare briefing notes, talking points and meeting minutes as needed;
- Support, as needed, the development of publications, advocacy and communication materials;
- Work with the technical partner to quickly resolve any glitches with the website;
- Provide editing and revision support on reports, briefs, guidance notes, and other timely documents as needed;
Learning Objectives:
- Increased understanding of UN systems, UN Women, and the Generation Equality Forum
- Improved understanding of forum procedures at UN Women
- Increased learning of digital advocacy, virtual events, and public engagement at the United Nations
- Learning tactics for engaging civil society and the public in multi-stakeholder processes
Competencies
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
Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:
Functional Competencies:
- Knowledge of gender issues and women’s human rights is a considerable asset;
- Distinct understanding of digital organizing or virtual events is an advantage
Required Skills and Experience
Qualifications
Education:
- University studies in one of the following disciplines: gender studies, human rights, international relations or other relevant subjects is required.
- 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, or Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program which is part of a degree programme and undertake the internship as part of the program requirements.
Language:
- Excellent communication skills (written and oral) in English are required;
- Working knowledge of French, Spanish or Arabic is a requirement.
Renumeration:
Interns who are not in receipt of financial support from other sources such as universities or other institutions will receive a stipend from UN Women to partially subsidize their basic living costs for the duration of the internship.
Application Information:
- All applicants must submit a completed and signed P.11 form with their application.
- Due to the high volume of applications received, we can ONLY contact successful candidates.
Successful candidate will be required to provide proof of enrollment in a valid health insurance plan at the duty station of the internship, proof of school enrollment or degree, a scanned copy of their passport/national ID and a copy of a valid visa (as applicable).