Background

Background:

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.

Unit/ Project Background:

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the contribution of agriculture to GDP is estimatedat 40 %. Agriculture is mainly subsistencial, practiced on small-scale individual and/or family. The rural population accounts for 70% of the overall population of the country, and 60% of this rural population works in the agricultural sector. Women represent 51 percent of the rural population, and 85% of them are engaged in the agricultural sector.

UN Women is explicitly and exclusively focused on promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in DRC. In the past years, the UNW Office has established solid partnership with the Congolese government as well as excellent relations with the major women-led organizations and civil society organisations. In support to the most essentiel agriculture sector and in line with its strategic plan, the Country office has developed a agriculture flagship that it is planning to launch in Q4 of 2017 and implement the different action points. In that regard, the UNW DRC Office has started strenghtening its team and is planning to recruit additional staff to support in the implementation of the agriculture flagship.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

Description of Responsibilities & Learning Objectives:

Description of Functions:

Under the overall guidance of the UN Women Deputy Country Representative and direct supervision of the UN Women Program staff, the Intern will support the UN Women office in DRC by undertaking the following tasks:

  • Work closely with the National Program Office/Programme Specialist and other UN Women team members at the country level to provide program support to develop innovative concepts/programmes and implement initiatives to economically empower women;
  • Support the WEE team in the provision of top quality advisory and programme development services in the WEE area;
  • Provide support in the management of the WEE portfolio and delivery on the program initiatives;
  • Ensure the coordination Support and Strategic partnerships building;
  • Support in the advocacy support and Knowledge building and management of the program;
  • Support the development of concept notes, preparation of project documents and reports upon the request of the Deputy Representative/Programme Specialist;
  • Under the guidance and oversight of the Programme Specialist, support in the  implementation of the country Strategic Note in the area of Women’s Economic Empowerment.

Learning Objectives:

  • Increased understanding of UN Women’s work and the UN system;
  • Learning the work in gender, economic empowerment;
  • Experience in working with women in agriculture in developing countries;

- Meeting and networking with UN Women colleagues in other units and pillars;

- Work as a team member in a multicultural setting.

 

Competencies

Competencies

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.

Cultural sensitivity and valuing 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:

Ethics and Values:

  • Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity.

Organizational Awareness:

  • Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment.
  • Take charge of self-development and take initiative.

  • Development and Innovation:

  • Take charge of self-development and take initiative.

  • Work in teams:

  • Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

  • Communicating and Information Sharing:

  • Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication.

  • Self-management and Emotional Intelligence:

  • Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behavior towards other.

  • Conflict Management:

  • Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution.

  • Continuous Learning and Knowledge Sharing:

  • Encourage learning and sharing of knowledge.
  • Demonstrate informed and transparent decision making.

  • Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making:

  • swith partners and stakeholders; Establishes and nurtures positive communication with partner
  • Promoting organizational learning and knowledge sharing: Generates new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things
  • Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments

  • Functional Competencies:

  • Ability to analyze data and to interpret and evaluate results, and create reports and/or presentations.
  • Ability to effectively utilize computer software (i.e. MS Excel, Access, oracle, etc.) for database development and management.
  • Communicating clearly and objectively the work done and the resulting findings.
  • Use appropriate standards for reporting certain findings or recommendations.
  • Ability to follow instructions through a standard work process.
  • Ability to perform routine tasks and to check work for accuracy before completion of tasks. 
  • Advocacy/Advancing: Identifies and communicates relevant information for a variety of audiences in advocating for UN Women's mandate within the broader context of Communicating
  • Builds Strategic Partnerships: Analyzes and selects materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders; Establishes and nurtures positive communication with partner
  • Promoting organizational learning and knowledge sharing: Generates new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things
  • Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications

The below qualifications are required, however you may make changes to the university subject and languages portion.

Education:

  • The intern must have studies in Public Administration, Public Policies, International Development, International Relations or related fields (minimum Bachelor's level or equivalent), 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 and French are required; Working knowledge of another UN language a distinct advantage

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)