United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Gender Mainstreaming Internship 2016

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) - For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Gender Mainstreaming Internship (Panama, LACRO)

Job Number: 496140
Location: Regional Services Division, LACRO
Work Type: Internship

Purpose of the UNICEF Internship Programme
The purpose of these Terms of Reference is to offer a practical learning experience for a graduate student in cross-sectoral gender mainstreaming and provide direct support to the Gender Section in the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (LACRO) on core activities towards scaling up implementation of the UNICEF Gender Action Plan 2014-2017.

Background and Justification

• In 2013, UNICEF adopted a global Gender Action Plan (2014-2017) (GAP) that identifies five gender-related bottlenecks and the corresponding institutional response within four targeted priorities (The four targeted priorities include:
  • Gender-responsive adolescent health;
  • Girls' Secondary School Education;
  • Ending Child Marriage, and
  • Gender-based violence in Emergencies) and an overall gender mainstreaming mandate. 
• In order to support the implementation and monitoring of the GAP, UNICEF has recently appointed dedicated Regional Gender Advisors (RGA) in almost all Regional Offices.  Within LACRO, the area of Gender has historically been represented albeit shared with other technical areas. 
• The creation of a dedicated Regional Advisor post provides a key opportunity to strategically define and focus key gender priorities and strategies that will enhance regional and country outcomes, in line with the Strategic Plan and National gender commitments across sectors. 
• At the country level, UNICEF country offices include gender focal points responsible for GAP implementation (in addition to several other responsibilities) and a few country offices have dedicated gender staff (with requisite expertise) as per GAP requirements due to limited human and financial resources characteristic of a middle-high income Region. 
• This limited staff complement, both regionally and nationally, must be coordinated and channeled appropriately to advance the gender equality agenda and ensure UNICEF compliance with international, regional and national gender mandates.

Objective

• Provide a practical learning opportunity for a graduate student on gender mainstreaming through support to LACRO Gender Section and Country Office gender focal points.

Principal Tasks and Products
The intern will be responsible for one or more of the following tasks, depending on the duration of the internship, linguistic skills, interest and current area of study/experience:

• User-friendly, digital annotated bibliography of key sectoral gender tools and documents;
• Develop ToR and identify potential participants for a UNICEF Gender Equality Advisory Group;
• Mapping of key communications channels for gender equality;
• Review and develop materials in collaboration with Health, Education and/or Child Protection Sections;
• Develop and launch content for LACRO Gender website, and/or
• Support Gender Section in other activities, time permitting and as needed.

Place of Work

• The intern will be required to work on-site in the LAC Regional Office (Panama City, Panama) and establish periodic communications/virtual meetings with country offices and regional colleagues.

Required Qualifications
Self-Check Table
At the time I would like to start my internship with UNICEF,

• I will be enrolled in a graduate programme in one of the following fields: Gender and Development, Political Science, International Relations, Public Health or Sociology/Social Work.

I have excellent academic performance and can demonstrate it by my recent university or other academic institution records.

• I can work in either in Spanish or English, with good knowledge of the other.  French and/or Portuguese skills will be considered an asset.
• Excellent synthesis, analytic and communication skills.

Internship Duration:

• The duration of the internship will be no less than 3 months and no more than 6 months

Supervisor:

• The intern will work under the direct supervision of the Regional Gender Advisor.

Payment and Insurance

• Internships are normally unpaid. Interns need to be able to fund themselves for their travel to the duty station, their accommodation and living expenses at the duty station during the internship. Where appropriate, interns may be reimbursed for travel expenses incurred during official travel authorized by UNICEF.
• UNICEF accepts no responsibility for the medical insurance of the intern or costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during the internship. Interns have to demonstrate a proof of medical insurance prior to the beginning of the internship.
• Interns are personally responsible for obtaining necessary visa covering the entire period of their internship.

Evaluation:

• At the end of the internship intern and supervisor are required to complete the respective evaluation forms.

Status:

• Interns are considered gratis personnel and not staff members. Notwithstanding this status, they shall observe all applicable rules, regulations, instructions and procedures and directives of UNICEF.
• Interns shall respect the impartiality and independence required of UNICEF and shall not seek or accept instructions regarding the services performed under the internship agreement from any Government or from any authority external to UNICEF.
• Unless otherwise authorized by the receiving office/division, interns may not communicate at any time to the media or to any institution, person, Government or any external source any information which has become known to them by reasons of their association with UNICEF. They may not use any such information without the written authorization, and such information may never be used for personal gain. The obligations also apply after the end of the internship.
• Interns shall refrain from any conduct that would adversely reflect on UNICEF and not engage in any activity which is incompatible with the aims and objectives of UNICEF.

Post Internship Employment:

• There is no expectancy of employment at the end of the internship assignment. Interns are eligible to apply for regular posts within UNICEF.
• Interns are considered external candidates when applying for regular posts within UNICEF.

Application Closing Date
13th June, 2016.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• Additional consideration will be given to any past professional experience.
• If you could answer 'yes' to all the above listed requirements, you are highly encouraged to apply now to UNICEF's internship!
• Incomplete applications will not be considered.