Background

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. Project Background: Over the last decade, increasing natural hazards, climate-related emergencies, mounting insecurity and crises in Asia and the Pacific are eroding development gains, posing significant challenges in the transition to low-carbon, resilient societies. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was off-track to meet the transformational environmental, social, and economic changes required to achieve gender equality, address climate change, and realize human rights for all. The pandemic set back sustainable development progress while further increasing inequalities. Women and girls, especially those facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, have faced disproportionate fallout. Environmental degradation and climate and disaster impacts are unequally felt across the region. For women, people living in poverty and other marginalized groups, pre-existing discriminatory social norms and pervasive gender inequalities increase exposure to risks while undercutting the ability to cope and recover from shocks. Women’s livelihoods are often the first to decline due to climate-related hazards and disasters. Further, inequalities in access to resources, finance and technologies leave women with greater challenges in coping and rebuilding after a crisis. The low-carbon transition and social transformation required to solve the climate crisis pose significant opportunities to redress gender inequalities and promote human rights. By placing women and other marginalized groups at the centre, this transition can advance gender justice and occur more quickly with empowered women and marginalized groups acting as change agents. UN Women is working with partners in the region to strengthen the integration of gender equality and human rights into climate and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) policies and initiatives, supporting the meaningful participation of women in decision-making processes and raising awareness of the significance of addressing the gender dimensions of climate change through its advocacy, research, and capacity-building programs. To support this work, UN Women’s team aims to recruit an able intern to support the activities of the Resilience Team.

Duties and Responsibilities

Description of Responsibilities

Objectives:

The overall objective of this assignment is to conduct web-based desk research, information collection, review and analysis of national, regional, global policy documents governing the work in the areas of climate change, DRR and gender equality; provide technical support to the project team working in the regional office and country offices; and assist in organization of the meetings and events of the unit, including preparation of meeting agendas, notes and outcome documents.

Support to Project Implementation:

The intern shall closely work with the Regional Project team to contribute to:

• Assistance in preparation and launch of the knowledge products relating to gender and climate change.
• Desk based review of relevant online training materials and e-learning courses for adult education and distance learning and contribution to the content development for trainings.
• Organizing the peer review process to increase quality of technical reports on assessment of gender equality and climate change interlinkages.
• Supporting the organization of a knowledge-sharing workshops on climate change and disaster risk reduction
• Preparation of concept notes for resource mobilization and fund raising for implementation of activities relating to gender and climate action.
• Preparation of policy briefs and communication materials and organizing awareness-raising events on human rights and climate change.

Support to Project communications and M&E activities:

• Development of communications materials (key messages and visuals) for targeted stakeholders
• Maintenance of the project website and knowledge products, as needed
• Researching information on various Project outputs and any other information outlined in the Project Document.

Learning Objectives:

• Understanding of UN Operations: The internship provides a unique opportunity to understand the work of a UN entity. The Interns will gain insights into how international organizations collaborate on complex issues like gender, climate change, renewable energy, and disaster risk reduction.
• Hands-on Experience in Policy Development: Involvement in the preparation of policy/ thematic briefs offers practical experience in shaping policies that influence global and regional strategies.
• Networking Opportunities: The position provides a platform for building professional networks with experts in environmental science, gender studies, disaster risk reduction, and humanitarian work.
• Skill Enhancement in Communication and Advocacy: Developing communication materials and organizing events enhances skills in public speaking, content creation, and advocacy.
• Insights into Gender and Environmental Intersectionality: Interns will understand the nuanced interplay between gender and human rights issues and environmental challenges.
• Project Management Experience: Assisting in various aspects of project implementation, from conceptualization to execution, providing a comprehensive view of project management in a global context.
• Critical Thinking and Analytical Skills: Engaging in research and analysis of policy documents will enhance critical thinking and analytical skills.

Competencies

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: UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf (unwomen.org) Functional Competencies: Knowledge of gender related issues and human rights, including laws that promote gender equality; Knowledge and related to current policies and practices in the fields of climate change or disaster risk preparedness; Some knowledge of intergovernmental processes and bodies; Ability to undertake policy research and prepare qualitative studies; Ability to organize and complete multiple tasks by establishing priorities.

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications

Education:

• University studies in one of the following disciplines: environmental science, natural resource management, gender and women’s studies or other relevant subjects is required.
• Meet one of the following:

1. Be enrolled in a postgraduate school programme (such as a master’s programme or higher);
2. Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (such as bachelor’s degree or equivalent);
3. Be enrolled in a mandatory national service programme of which the internship may form a part;
4. 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.

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 P11 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 enrolment, a valid health insurance plan at the duty station of the internship, proof of school enrolment or degree, a scanned copy of their passport/national ID and a copy of a valid visa (as applicable).
• Interested candidates are encouraged to submit an electronic application to hr.bangkok@unwomen.org with sirinapa.visessmith@unwomen.org and salila.klongboonjit@unwomen.org in copy, not later than 11 April 2024, 23:59 hrs. Bangkok time.

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.

UNW Statement of diversity

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.)