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.

 

Through the regional office for Asia and the Pacific based in Bangkok and a number of country and multi-country offices, UN Women builds on a long history of support to governments and women’s movements. UN Women’s programs in Asia and the Pacific focus on ending violence against women, humanitarian action and disaster risk reduction, women’s economic empowerment, CEDAW and women’s human rights, peace and security, governance and HIV/AIDS. For more information about UN Women in Asia and the Pacific, visit the official website.

 

Women’s Economic Empowerment Unit

UN Women in the Asia-Pacific region addresses these challenges through a comprehensive approach to Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) and Migration, which includes initiatives ranging from social protection and unpaid care to SME/private sector development. Recognizing the significance of WEE, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic, UN Women's Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) has been actively developing strategic approaches aligned with the region's specific contexts and needs, aiming to promote gender equality and economic inclusion across diverse settings. This strategic focus is informed by rigorous evaluations, consultations, and alignment with the recently launched Global UN Women Women’s Economic Empowerment Strategy, ensuring effective support for women's economic empowerment in the region spanning across the following areas:  Women and the World of Work, Transforming Care Systems, Gender-responsive Climate Action and Green/Blue Economies, and Migration. 

 

The regional office is currently implementing a series of different projects: WeRise Together, Women-led Climate Tech Entrepreneurship Accelerator, Gender-inclusive Care Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Program (GICEEP), UN Women WEPs Asia-Pacific Gender Action Lab (GAL) – Innovation for Impact, and the Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards and WEPs Forum. 

Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards

UN Women drives private sector action for gender equality and WEE by promoting commitment to and implementation of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), a set of 7 principles that provide companies a roadmap to become more gender-responsive throughout their value chain.

 

Businesses of any size and sector, including Stock Exchanges, Chambers of Commerce and Industry Associations, can sign on to become WEPs signatories. To date, more than 9,00 companies have signed the WEPs globally, and in the Asia-Pacific more than 2,600 have committed.

Aiming to showcase the best practices of these companies and mobilize further action, the first Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards was launched in 2020 by WeEmpowerAsia, a 2019-2022 UN Women programmed funded by and in partnership with the European Union that worked to increase the number of women who participate and lead in businesses in the Asia-Pacific. As the only regional awards initiative recognizing private sector action for gender equality aligned to the WEPs, the Awards offer a unique opportunity for organizations to showcase their work in a diverse range of areas relevant to women’s empowerment.  

 

Over three annual cycles from 2020-2022, the Awards generated more than 1,500 applications from over 1,000 participating companies across the Asia-Pacific. More than 300 leaders, business associations, companies, and SMEs have been awarded for their efforts and actions across the key pillars of the WEPs: Leadership, Workplace, Marketplace, Community and Transparency & Reporting. Following the success and visibility of the inaugural 2020 Awards, 2021 and 2022 saw a noticeable increase in applications from large national companies and SMEs, demonstrating the increased awareness and commitment generated among national private sector actors. The full suite of past Awardees can be found at https://www.asiapacificwepsawards.org/. 

 

2024 will mark the 4th edition of the Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards and will be organized with support from the Government of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). 

This year’s Awards will be part of the newly launched: UN Women Gender Action Lab (GAL): Innovation and Impact for Gender Equality in Asia-Pacific, powered by the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). UN Women is proud to be deepening the ongoing relationship with DFAT through this new initiative, which will be implemented from 2024-2028 and will be officially launched in Q2 2024. 

 

The Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards will become an integral part of the Gender Action Lab as an effort to recognize private sector action to advance gender equality.  

 

Awardees from the 2024 WEPs Awards will be recognized at the ‘Virtual Awards Ceremony’ in November 2024 and will be invited to join the physical ‘WEPs Forum 2025’ and have the opportunity to present their initiatives.  

 

The ROAP WEE unit is seeking a proactive, driven and energetic intern to join the growing team and provide support primarily for the Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards but also across a range of activities within the WEE portfolio.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Support review of applications and due diligence for the 2024 Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards
  • Provide support for the UN Women 2024 Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards in the lead up to the Regional Ceremony (expected in later November) including drafting invitations letters, contributing to meetings with the event organizing agency, notifying Awardees and supporting the coordination of ceremony logistics
  • Contribute to WEE Unit communications activities, including drafting of newsletters and impact stories, reviewing WEPs Case Studies, and input to social media campaigns showcasing the WEE unit’s work with entrepreneurs and corporates
  • Develop presentation decks and inputs to briefing materials and talking points for WEE events
  • Support data entry and management of the WEE stakeholder database
  • Compile information and data from different sources and produce analytical synopses and briefs
  • Liaise with and provide support to WEE country teams and other partners as assigned by supervisor, especially to provide technical guidance for the WEPs Approvals process
  • Actively participate in and contribute to team meetings
  • Perform other tasks as assigned by supervisor

Learning Objectives

  • Increase understanding of UN Women’s work and the UN system
  • Gain knowledge and understanding of issues related to WEE
  • Build and develop professional relationships with UN Women colleagues and colleagues from

other UN agencies

  • Work as a team member in a multicultural setting and develop professional relationships with UN Women colleagues and colleagues from other UN agencies
  • Develop advocacy and data management skills

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: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf

Functional Competencies:

  • Knowledge of the subject of women’s economic empowerment;
  • Excellent organizational and time management skills;
  • Ability to work with different actors, including through remote contact;
  • Ability to multi-task and address competing priorities;
  • Ability to work effectively in independent and collaborative settings;
  • Ability to take initiatives, ask questions, and contribute substantively;
  • Strong computer skills, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
  • Ability to use basic functions of Excel to analyze and visualize data and findings
  • Strong research, writing and critical analysis skills
  • Excellent communications skills, with ability to communicate with diverse stakeholders and especially the private sector;
  • Ability and willingness to work as part of a team to meet tight deadlines and produce high-quality work.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • University studies in one of the following disciplines: gender studies, development studies, international affairs, business, economics or other related fields.
  • Applicants must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

a) Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as a master’s programme, or higher);

b) Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (such as bachelor’s degree or equivalent);

c) Be enrolled in a mandatory national service programme of which the internship may form a part;

d) Have recently graduated with a university degree (as defined in (a) and (b) above) and, if selected, must start the internship within two-years of graduation.

  • Knowledge in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems.

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.

 

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need. 

 

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application. 

 

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination.  All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)