INTERN (ACCESS TO JUSTICE)

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 Policy Division develops and implements the UN Women program of work on analysis, research and knowledge management that provides the evidence base for the advice and guidance UN Women provides to the intergovernmental process, the UN system, and to UN Women staff working at country and regional level on issues of gender equality and women’s empowerment. It identifies emerging issues and trends, and develops and proposes new strategies for achieving the agreed goals through innovative approaches and lessons learned about what works in practice. The Policy Division staff is organized in Thematic Sections, bringing together technical experts who: undertake issues-based research; analyze data on country, regional or global trends; build a knowledge base on policy commitments and their implementation; propose evidence-based options for global policy, norms and standards and for UN Women global programme strategies; and contribute substantive inputs to policy advocacy and technical cooperation programmes. The Leadership and Governance Section, as one of five thematic sections of the Policy Division, supports the achievement of good and gender-responsive governance at different levels and in different sectors. A key area of UN-Women’s work located in the Leadership and Governance Section is ensuring access to justice for women and the equal application of the rule of law. Effective judicial and legal systems not only ensure the protection and advancement of women’s human rights, but can provide an enabling environment to address discriminatory practices which impede development. The constitutional and Access to Justice Advisor works on issues relating to constitutional and legal reform, and the elimination of discrimination in justice systems all according to international human rights norms and standards in order that women’s human rights are guaranteed.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Constitutional and Access to Justice Advisor, the Section is recruiting an intern to undertake the following specific tasks: Through comprehensive and systematic desk review of the Concluding Observations and Recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and the Universal Periodic Review by each country since 2006 to date:   Undertake a mapping of all Concluding Observations and Recommendations that relate to constitutional reforms, legislative reforms and access to justice; Undertake a mapping of reforms undertaken by each country in any or all of the three areas; Prepare a matrix highlighting when affected State Party reports are next due to the CEDAW Committee to determine precise advice for UN Women field offices; Support the constitutional and Access to Justice Advisor in undertaking activities which are related to the above.

Competencies

Strong written and oral communication skills in English; Strong organizational and research skills;  Keen interest in the work of the UN, and of UN Women in particular, and have a personal commitment to UNW's goals and objectives and to the ideals of the UN Charter; Have ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs; Excellent research, writing and organizational skills; Ability to multi-task and address competing priorities; Strong computer skills, Word, Excel, Power Point and website management.

Required Skills and Experience

Education: Current enrollment in Master’s degree programme (law, human rights, international relations, politics, gender or other relevant disciplines). Experience: Expertise in human rights research an asset. Language: Fluency in English; Knowledge of another UN working language is an advantage. Conditions: Interns are not financially remunerated by UN Women.

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