UN Women: Programme Internship, Tirana, Albania

Background:

• 4 months to 6 months 

• Two consecutive internship assignments for tentative periods as given below:

• First assignment: from January 2027 to June 2027

• Second assignment: from June 2027 to December 2027

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; empowerment of women; and 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 leads and coordinates 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 Albania is implementing its Strategic Note (SN) 2022-2026 which aims to ensure that “All Women and girls enjoy and exercise their human rights in a gender equal society and meaningfully contribute to Albania’s sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development and EU integration”. 

From 2027, UN Women Albania will begin implementing its new Strategic Note, building on the results and lessons learned from the 2022–2026 cycle and aligning its work with Albania’s national gender equality priorities, EU integration process and the new United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. The intern will join during the initial implementation phase and support programme planning, coordination, research, monitoring and reporting, contributing to the delivery of the new Strategic Note.

As part of the implementation of its  Strategic Note, UN Women will continue support the Government of Albania to align its national legal and policy framework with international human rights standards on gender equality, as well as facilitating networking and exchanges of good practices and advocate for women’s rights in all areas of life. 

Description of Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the Head of Programme, the intern will work in close collaboration with the Programme Team and specific project managers as relevant ensuring timely support in carrying out proper processes related to advancing the normative, programmatic and coordination work of the office as well as other cross-cutting areas of knowledge management, research, and analysis.

The intern will be expected to undertake the following specific tasks:

• Support in review and research to contribute to the collection, consolidation, and sharing of relevant products and documentation for programme development and knowledge management, on topics related to the thematic areas of work of UN Women in Albania (women’s leadership and political participation, ending violence against women, gender-responsive national planning and budgeting, women’s economic empowerment, women, peace and security) as well as on its normative and UN Coordination work;
• Support to the CO by facilitating meetings related to the evaluation processes, including organizing logistics, taking minutes, and following up on action points; 
• Support to CO Strategic Note Work Planning and Reporting by contributing to support of data collection and analysis for programme development; 
• Support in the integration of gender equality in the EU integration processes, including desk review of EU gender-related acquis, support to programme initiatives linked to Albania’s EU reform agenda, and preparation of background materials;
• Compile information from different sources and produce analytical synopses; 
• Collect information and data and support preparation of briefing notes, talking points, and reports, presentations and other visual documents, data entry and database updating;
• Support organization of CO activities and events, including outreach and implementation of activities promoting youth;
• Support knowledge management practices in the CO including by ensuring that shared platforms are up to date and effectively utilized by CO staff;
• Support additional tasks of the CO Programme Unit, as required.

Learning objectives:

• Understand the mandate and working areas of UN Women and the UN system in Albania.
• Acquire knowledge and practical experience about issues related to gender equality and the empowerment of women;
• Enhance understanding of gender mainstreaming in national policy processes, EU integration frameworks, and UN coordination mechanisms, while developing skills in research, analysis, and communication within a dynamic inter-agency and government-focused environment.
• Strengthen analytical and research skills in thematic areas that are part of the CO’s work;
• Exposure to the working environment of a UN Organization;
• Acquire teamwork skills in a multicultural environment.

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

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 Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

• Excellent research, writing, and organizational skills;
• Ability to work in diverse team settings;
• Ability to multi-task and address competing priorities; 
• Ability to produce high-quality deliverables in a timely manner; 
• Ability to work effectively in independent and collaborative settings; 
• Ability to take initiatives, ask questions, and contribute substantively; 
• Strong computer skills, including Word, Excel, and Power Point;

Qualifications

Education:

• University studies in one of the following disciplines: gender studies, human rights, international relations, anthropology, political sciences, law or other relevant subjects is required. 
• Meet one of the following: 

1. Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); 
2. Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor's level or equivalent); 
3. Have graduated with a university degree and, if selected, must commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation; or 
4. Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program which is part of a degree programme and undertake the internship as part of the program requirements. 

Language:

• Fluency in English is required, both oral and written;
• Fluency in Albanian would be an asset.

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 UN Women Personal History Form (P11) 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 enrollment in a valid health insurance plan at the duty station of the internship, proof of school enrollment or degree, a scanned copy of their passport/national ID and a copy of a valid visa (as applicable).  

Statements :

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.

Diversity and inclusion:

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.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.