Mission and objectives
Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women will work 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. Placing women’s rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women is leading and coordinating United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors. UN Women’s vision is a world in which societies are free of gender-based discrimination, where women and men have equal opportunities, where women and girls are empowered to lead the change that they want to see, and where women’s rights are upheld in all efforts to further development, human rights, peace and security.Context
UN Women Kenya is part of the global UN Women entity, which is dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. The Kenya Country Office works in close collaboration with government institutions, civil society organizations, and development partners to advance women’s rights and promote inclusive development. Its strategic priorities include ending violence against women and girls, enhancing women’s economic empowerment, and increasing women’s leadership and participation in governance and peacebuilding. UN Women Kenya works to promote gender equality and empower women and girls through strategic partnerships, policy advocacy, and programmatic interventions. The International UNV Youth Volunteer will support the Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) programme, which focuses on increasing access to economic opportunities for women, especially in rural and marginalized communities. In Kenya, UN Women plays a pivotal role in supporting national policy frameworks such as the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Strategy and the implementation of international commitments like the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The office also contributes to humanitarian response and resilience-building efforts, ensuring that gender perspectives are integrated into all stages of emergency planning and recovery. Youth engagement is a growing focus for UN Women Kenya, recognizing the critical role young people play in driving social change and innovation. Through partnerships with youth-led organizations and initiatives, the office promotes youth participation in gender equality advocacy, leadership development, and community mobilization. The International Youth UN Volunteer will be part of this dynamic environment contributing fresh perspectives and energy to ongoing programmes while gaining valuable experience in multilateral development work. WEE is part of the UN’s Joint Corporation Framework’s SP (Strategic Priority) 2 which contributes to the following Kenya’s national development priorities namely: Kenya Vision 2030, Outcome COP 26, National strategic plan for climate change 2018-2022, National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) 5 years Strategic plan 2019-2024, National strategy for the 10% tree cover, MTP (Medium Term Plan) III (MTP IV), Big 4 Agenda, County Integrated Development Plans (CIDP), Ending Drought Emergencies Framework (EDEF), Nationally Determined Commitments (NDCs), Women’s Economic Empowerment Strategy (2020-2025), Kenya National Adaptation Plan 2015-2030, A Climate Risk Management Framework for Kenya, 2016, Kenya Industrial Transformation Programme, Kenya National Youth Development Policy, 2019, National Climate Change Action Plan (2018-2022), Generation Equality Forum commitments made by the Government of Kenya in June 2021, Civil Registration Strategic Plan, 2018-2023.Task Description
Competencies and values
Integrity Professionalism Respect for DiversityLiving conditions and remarks
The Republic of Kenya is an equatorial nation on the coast of East Africa, neighboring Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Indian Ocean. Kenya has two levels of Government; National Government and 47 sub-national Governments called Counties. Counties are further divided into sub-counties. Kenya is a multi-party state with Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Kenya’s population of more than 40 million is growing at an annual rate of 2.2%. The country’s GNP per capita estimated at purchasing power parity (PPP) is $975, and the GNP is growing at an average rate of 0.1% annually. More than 26% of Kenya’s people live below the international poverty line of $1 per day. Kenya’s main food crops are “maize, wheat, pulses, roots and tubers.” (FAO). Nairobi is a modern metropolitan city where most basic goods and services, health facilities, public transport, telecommunication and banking services and educational facilities are readily available. The city is widely connected through its main airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the smaller Wilson Airport. Air transport is also available to many up-country destinations. The city is home to some 3,000 UN personnel mainly attributed to the fact that it serves as the headquarters for both the UN HABITAT and UNEP. The socio-economic and cultural background of the immediate society the UNV would be living and working in is diverse and prevailing security conditions at the place of assignment is modest. The topographic and climatic features of the assignment location is highland cool and warm tropical climate. Link to the Entitlement Calculator: https://app.unv.org/calculator
