The Position:

Under the direct supervision of the SRHR Regional Advisor in UNFPA Asia-Pacific Regional Office (APRO), the Maternal Health Intern will support the implementation of key activities related to the UNFPA Strategic Plan 2026-2030 and the achievement of UNFPA’s Transformative Result on Zero Preventable Maternal Deaths by 2030.

A work-plan with agreed tasks and deliverables for the duration of the Internship, as well as learning opportunities, will be agreed upon. Periodic progress meetings will lead to a beneficial environment for the Intern enhancing her/his skills and capacity in areas related to UNFPA’s mandate and APRO.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA expands choices and possibilities for women and young people to lead healthy and productive lives. UNFPA’s Strategic Plan (2022-2025), focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. 

For the portfolio of work on Maternal Health, UNFPA APRO works across 22 countries in Asia and 14 in the Pacific to (i) strengthen national policies for high-quality service provision, (ii) improve the availability and training of the midwifery workforce, (iii) ensure access to Basic and Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care, and (iv) strengthen data for maternal and perinatal health (including Maternal Perinatal Deaths Surveillance and Response Systems – MPDSR) and health management information systems use. 

These areas of focus are complemented by strong policy and advocacy support on issues related to maternal health and other reproductive health morbidities (e.g., cervical cancer, obstetric fistula).

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results. We need interns who are exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results. 

You would be responsible for:

The Intern will be responsible for delivering high-quality support to the SRHR Advisor in all areas of maternal health programme implementation. Several key activities will be conducted at the regional level in 2026, with a specific focus on supporting APRO in the partnership with ERIA and IDRC, knowledge management, strategic communications and advocacy related to perinatal mental health, as well as linking the MNH and Gender portfolios to support strategic communication and learning where there are synergies.

In particular, it is envisioned that during the internship the selected Intern will provide support on:

• Supporting APRO, ERIA and IDRC: APRO, ERIA and IDRC have a joint program to support research in 3 countries in the ASEAN region (Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia) that looks at perinatal mental health and maternal, newborn health outcomes. The specific role of the intern will be to manage a literature review on PMH in the ASEAN countries as well as conduct quantitative and qualitative interviews with representatives from each of the countries, analyze the responses and help write up the findings

• Draft a publication based on the literature review: The intern will work with ERIA and IDRC to lead in drafting a paper for submission to a peer reviewed journal. This will be an opportunity for the intern to lead this process, as well as to ensure that the evidence is shared globally. 
  
   
• Align a gender/MNH wellbeing approaches:  the Intern will support the SRHR Team and the Gender Team to identify areas for potential collaboration and complementarity around issues of mental health and wellbeing. Both portfolios have work in this space, but the linkages have not been made, communicated and then shared. The Intern will co-create a document for APRO to use to communicate our work more broadly and comprehensively.

Additional tasks might be agreed upon together with the Intern, based on the requirements of the projects and available learning opportunities.
 

Qualifications and Experience: 

Applicants to UNFPA’s internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

1. Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree 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. Have recently graduated with a university degree (as defined in (A) and (B) above) and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation;
4. Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship programme and undertake the internship as part of this programme.
    

Education:

The selected Intern will have an educational background in public health, medicine, midwifery, health sciences, social sciences, development studies or other related fields.

Your Experience: 

• Some experience in working with development agencies, including in volunteer capacity.
• Fluency in English. Knowledge of other languages is an asset.
• Strong analytical and writing skills.
• Initiative, sound judgment and demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with staff members from different national and cultural backgrounds.

Upon completion of the assignment, and depending on its duration, the Intern will gain the following knowledge assets:

1. Increased understanding of the UNFPA and the SRHR/ Maternal Health technical work within UNFPA APRO and country offices
2. Write, formulate and review substantive technical documents and analyses
3. Understand the UNFPA mandate and policies, including regional set-up ad country office support
4. Understand UNFPA programme design and delivery mechanisms
5. Learn UN technical language, working procedures, and coordination mechanisms 
6. Work experience as a team member in a multicultural setting & Network with UN colleagues 

Financial Aspects:

Interns do not receive a salary or any other form of remuneration from UNFPA. The costs associated with an intern's participation in the programme must be assumed either by the nominating institution, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students, or by the students themselves, who will have to meet living expenses as well as make their own arrangements for accommodation, travel and other requirements. 

However, Interns may receive a small stipend to help cover basic daily expenses related to the internship, if not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation, or scholarship programme. The amount of the stipend varies according to the duty station. In addition, applicants must have medical insurance for the duration of the internship. Proof of insurance will need to be submitted before the internship begins. UNFPA does not provide medical insurance for interns. 
 

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.