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Overview
The Women, Peace and Security Policy Fellowship is an unpaid fellowship offered to current graduate students or professionals with expertise and background in gender, human rights, feminist studies, and international peace and security issues. The goal of the fellowship is to engage students and young professionals in civil society efforts to advance an intersectional, feminist advocacy platform seeking to influence international peace and security policymaking at the international level, with a particular focus on the UN Security Council and UN Headquarters.
Ideally, fellows will be based no farther than 3 hours from EST. This will be a virtual fellowship, although fellows based in New York will have the opportunity to work from the NGOWG office when it re-opens (there is no timeline for re-opening at this time).
The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, is a coalition of 18 international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working to advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda at the United Nations and around the world. Our members work in over 50 countries that have been affected by conflict and partner with over 200 NGOs and 75 networks of civil society actors and activists. We are formally and regularly invited to provide the UN Security Council with the civil society perspective on the women, peace and security agenda and have worked effectively to increase the Security Council’s engagement with civil society in the context of country-specific briefings.
Over the course of 2021, the NGOWG will be building on its advocacy campaign launched in 2020 and focusing particularly on strengthening the voices of women human rights defenders in policymaking discussions. Thus, this year in particular serves as a unique opportunity for fellows to observe, contribute to, and engage in advocacy efforts during a historical moment for the WPS agenda.
Key Projects & Responsibilities: Feminist Analysis & Advocacy
One of the main projects for fellows will be monitoring, tracking, and analyzing the work of the Security Council on 3-4 specific countries (which will be assigned based on stated preference and expertise) from an intersectional feminist lens. The outcome of this work will include short analytical briefs that will contribute directly to the coalition’s ongoing advocacy, including the briefings delivered by civil society partners in the UN Security Council, our Monthly Action Points (MAP) and our annual policy brief. The work completed by fellows will also be published on our website.
Further, fellows will have the opportunity to engage in an array of NGOWG advocacy efforts, particularly in the leadup to, as well as during, the annual discussion of women, peace and security in the Security Council in 2021.
Advocacy opportunities requiring support often emerge without notice, so fellows with diverse interests and skills will be particularly well-suited for this role.
This fellowship also serves as a unique opportunity for individuals with an interest in developing or strengthening a critical gender lens in the context of country and regional situations, as well as general peace and security issues. We welcome individuals with country or regional expertise, seeking to develop a better understanding of ways to deepen their analytical skills with regards to their country or region of interest. This expertise forms a core foundation for the NGOWG’s advocacy. Countries that will be the focus of our advocacy over the next year include:
● Afghanistan
● Central African Republic
● Colombia
● Democratic Republic of the Congo
● Ethiopia
● Haiti
● Iraq
● Israel / Palestine
● Libya
● Mali
● Myanmar
● Somalia
● South Sudan
● Sudan
● Syria
● Yemen
Throughout their term, the staff and members of the NGOWG will engage fellows in ongoing advocacy support and policy research projects, as well as offer structured mentorship on mainstreaming policy developments in the women, peace and security field at the international level. The fellow’s work will be guided by the Senior Program and Research Manager.
Fellows interact with NGOWG members and have access to events and policy discussions on gender, peace and security issues within the NGO and UN community. Fellows based in New York, NY will receive a UN pass and are able to access events at UN Headquarters once in-person work resumes (there is no timeline for re-opening at this time).
Term
The term of the fellowship is 6-9 months, beginning in May or June 2021. We are open to discussing different start dates / duration for exceptional candidates.
Applicants must be able to commit to 2 – 3 full days per week for the duration of the fellowship. Ideally, fellows will be based no farther than 3 hours from EST. This will be a virtual fellowship, although fellows based in New York will have the opportunity to work from the NGOWG office when it re-opens (there is no timeline for re-opening at this time).
Should you have any questions regarding options for term length or location, please e-mail: fellowship@womenpeacesecurity.org
Qualifications
● Currently in, or recent graduate from, an advanced degree program (M.A., M.S., PhD) focused on human rights, gender studies, feminist theory, international relations/affairs, international law, political science, public policy and administration, international development, international security, or a related field.
● Experience in feminist/gender analysis and specific expertise on issues related to gender and conflict; willingness to fill gaps in knowledge and/or experience through additional study is a necessary.
● Experience and/or demonstrated interest in policy analysis and research on international security is also highly regarded.
● Knowledge of country-specific or regional situations as a result of research, academic study, and/or field work is a positive.
● Background and/or demonstrated interest in the United Nations system, including experience gained as a result of academic study or experiential learning activities such as Model United Nations.
● Applicants must be fluent in spoken English, with high proficiency in academic and policy writing, including specifically synthesizing information.
● Computer proficiency in Windows environment (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) and high level of familiarity with all aspects of Google Drive / G Suite.
● Exceptional attention to detail.
● Strong communication and interpersonal skills, and ability to work quickly and efficiently.
● Experience working and communicating online via various platforms across multiple time zones an asset.
● Ability to speak additional languages, such as French, Spanish or Arabic an asset, but not required.
No phone calls please. If you have any questions, please e-mail fellowship@womenpeacesecurity.org. Thank you!
