Internship programme

What we look for | Eligibility requirements | Duration | Financial aspects
Application process | Interns in the world | Testimonials | Internship opportunities

The UN Women Internship Programme offers outstanding students the opportunity to acquire direct exposure to UN Women’s work in areas such as strategic partnerships, communications, advocacy, policy, evaluation, human resources, programme planning, research and data, finance, and ICT.

Internship assignments vary greatly in terms of content but are all designed to provide interns with a valuable learning experience. They may have a country-specific, regional, sectoral, or thematic focus. Most interns support the design, implementation and evaluation of UN Women projects and will learn about the work of gender and humanitarian action in an international environment.

Internships are offered depending on the availability of meaningful assignments and the needs and capacity of units/offices to receive and supervise interns.

What we look for

We welcome applications from all backgrounds including, but not limited to, different nationalities and study profiles. Applicants should also be able to demonstrate the UN Women values of professionalism, respect for diversity, and integrity. (See the “UN Women values and competencies framework”.)

Eligibility requirements

• You must be enrolled in a master’s, post-master’s, or doctorate programme, or be in the final year of a first university degree programme (bachelor’s level or equivalent); or
• If you have recently graduated from university, you must be able to commence the internship within two years of graduation; or
• You must be enrolled in a national service obligation programme of which the internship may form a part; or
• You must be enrolled in a professional traineeship programme that is part of a postgraduate degree programme, of which the internship may form a part.

Duration of internship

• Internships range from a minimum of two months to a maximum of six months, according to the availability and academic requirements of the intern, as well as the needs of UN Women.
• Assignments are generally full-time and are available throughout the year.

Financial aspects

• Interns are not financially remunerated by UN Women for their work but may receive a stipend to help cover basic daily expenses related to the internship, such as meals and transportation at the duty station, when not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation, or scholarship programme.
• All costs related to travel, insurance, accommodation, and other living expenses must be borne by either you or your sponsoring institution.

Application process

• To apply for an internship, click on the vacancy announcement below and follow specific instructions on how to apply.
• All applicants must submit a UN Women Personal History Form (P11)  and a cover letter along with their online application.
• UN Women will be able to respond only to those applications in which there is further interest.
• Once you have been contacted and selected by the hiring office, you will need to provide two letters of recommendation, proof of health insurance coverage, proof of school enrolment or graduation, and a scanned copy of your passport and visa (if applicable), along with an accepted and signed internship offer and agreement that will be provided to you.

Interns in the world

As of November 2019, the distribution of interns was as follows:

Testimonials

“Since beginning my internship in the Independent Evaluation Office, I’ve been immersed in a number of projects ranging from the UN SWAP to the Corporate Evaluation Plan to the Professionalization Initiative. Volunteering at International Women's Day and throughout the Commission on the Status of Women was both insightful and energizing. I've only been here for two months and am thrilled to continue engaging and learning.” —Daniele Elizaire, Evaluation Intern

“Working to advance Women’s Economic Empowerment is truly great and rewarding. I have learned a lot so far regarding how to address Unpaid Care Work and was able to see how important is our work advocating and challenging established conditions, pursuing a better life for ALL women.” —Gabrielle Leite, Economic Empowerment Intern

“During my time at UN Women I have been fortunate to become a part of an incredibly dynamic team.  The diversity of my colleagues' international and professional backgrounds means each day in the office brings new opportunities to learn from a new perspective or approach.” —Sarah Lux-Lee, UNiTE Campaign Intern

Internship opportunities

Please see below the terms of reference (TOR) for current internship opportunities: