UN Women's Empower Women call for applications: Champions for Change

Are you passionate about gender equality and women's economic empowerment? Would you like to apply your skills to make a difference in your own community and beyond? Do you have access to the internet?

UN Women's Empower Women is seeking applications from dynamic and creative women/girls and men/boys from all over the world to champion women’s economic empowerment. Apply now to become a global Champion for Change.

Who is eligible? Individual women/girls and men/boys from different professional backgrounds and skill sets. Students are also encouraged to apply. Applicants who are younger than 18 years old at the time of application will need to provide parents approval and consent.

What are the benefits? You will work closely with the Empower Women team at UN Women on a personal or group project; be visible and get recognized for your contributions in front of an audience of almost 1,000,000 people from more than 190 countries; and be able to network with 17,000 peers and experts. You will also have the opportunity to acquire new knowledge and learn skills (through webinars, online discussions, blog posts, and much more). 

What will a Champion do? You will be expected to use your expertise, skills, and knowledge to promote women’s economic empowerment online and offline. You will be able to actively participate and lead online discussions; contribute blog posts; share relevant resources; invite networks to join; and explore innovative tools and solutions for women’s economic empowerment; and develop a personal or group project to empower women online and in your community.

What is the required time commitment? About three to four hours per week for five months.

Will funding be available? Participation is on a voluntary basis. No funds will be available to cover the costs of your participation.

What are the deadlines? Your application should be submitted by 1 November 2016 at 5:00 pm EDT (New York time).

On 10 November 2016, we will invite all eligible applicants to enter a one-month rally. The purpose of this rally is for applicants to demonstrate how dynamic, creative and passionate they are in championing women’s economic empowerment.

On 10 December 2016, Empower Women will announce the names of the selected Champions for Change. The champions will submit an activity plan by 20 December, and work closely with the Empower Women team for a period of four months to put the plan into practice. 

How many champions will be selected? We will select at least 50 champions. In previous rounds, we selected 29, 44, 60 and 77 champions to work closely with the Empower Women Team.

Can I still participate in the Empower Women activities if I don't apply? Yes, you are encouraged to participate in all of the online discussions and activities hosted on EmpowerWomen.org. You only need to register and login to start engaging and contributing to women’s economic empowerment. 

If you are interested in joining this programme, please complete the application.