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.

Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, the UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

The United Nations System Coordination Division, coordinates and promotes the accountability of the United Nations system in its work on gender equality and the empowerment of women at the global, regional and country levels. It also contributes to gender equality and empowerment of women and girls with disabilities.

Duties and Responsibilities

Description of Responsibilities

Under the supervision and guidance of the Inter-Agency Coordination Specialist, the intern will assist/support work on issues related to gender mainstreaming guidance and UN country team accountability frameworks for gender mainstreaming; as well as gender equality, empowerment of women and girls with disabilities, and disability inclusion. A work plan with achievements for the duration of the Internship and learning opportunities will be agreed upon:

  • Prepare inputs to, and assist in implementing a knowledge management strategy for UNCT-SWAP, UNCT Gender Equality Marker, and for UN Women’s corporate strategy on women and girls with disabilities;
  • Assist with research, analysis and writing on UNCT-SWAP progress, and on issues related to UN Women’s work on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls with disabilities;
  • Draft inputs for UN Women’s internal and external communications on gender mainstreaming at country level, and on issues related to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls with disabilities;
  • Support note-taking and preparing summaries of meetings.

Learning objectives for the internship focus on:

1. Increased understanding of UN Women’s work across divisions and at different levels, and of the UN system;

2. Learning different aspects of UN system coordination and collaboration on gender equality and empowerment of women and girls issues;

3. Increased understanding of gender mainstreaming, including UN system accountability tools for gender mainstreaming;

4. Increased knowledge of issues related to gender equality and empowerment of women and girls facing intersecting discrimination;

5. Working as a team member in a multicultural setting.

 

Competencies

           Core Values:

  • Respect for Diversity

  • Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues

  • Creative Problem Solving

  • Effective Communication

  • Inclusive Collaboration

  • Stakeholder Engagement

  • Leading by Example

    Functional Competencies:

  • Ability to undertake gender analysis utilizing key gender concepts

  • Ability to write clearly and concisely

  • Ability to think and work logically and in an organized manner

  • Computer literate in standard software applications

  • Initiative, sound judgement, and ability to work effectively under pressure

  • Ability to work in a team with staff members of diverse backgrounds and identities

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s core values and competencies: http://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-employment-values-and-competencies-definitions-en.pdf

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • University studies in one of the following disciplines: gender studies, social sciences, international development, 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 another UN language is an advantage.

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).  

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.