Spring 2009 Global Development Policy Internship

Description:

Women Thrive Worldwide (formerly Women’s Edge Coalition) develops, shapes, and advocates for U.S. policies that foster economic opportunity for women living in poverty around the world. We focus on making U.S. international assistance and trade programs prioritize women. Women Thrive Worldwide brings together a diverse coalition of over 50 organizations and 30,000 individuals united in the belief that women are the key to ending global poverty and that empowering them is not only right, but also the most effective long-term solution to world poverty.

Women Thrive Worldwide has researched and developed several initiatives including the GAINS for Women and Girls Act, the Trade Impact Review, the Global Resources and Opportunities for Women to Thrive (GROWTH) Act, the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) and the Women, Faith and Development Alliance.

Women Thrive Worldwide's Policy and Government Affairs Department, which includes the Global Development and Global Trade programs, works to ensure that the benefits of U.S. international assistance reach both women and men in developing countries. We do this by raising awareness about women's roles in development and in their economies among policymakers in Congress and in the Administration; with other members of the development community; and with the general public. Women Thrive Worldwide actively works to increase, monitor, and provide accountability on the U.S. Government’s investment in international assistance programs, especially programs that invest in women and girls, and particularly through indigenous women's organizations abroad. Our goal is to ensure that U.S. international assistance creates opportunities for women so that their potential is fully tapped for reducing poverty and helping countries develop economically.

The Global Development Policy program seeks an enthusiastic intern for Spring 2009.

Specific duties of the Global Development Policy intern include:

• Researching and drafting advocacy materials on gender, women’s poverty, and women’s empowerment in international development programming
• Organizing Women Thrive Worldwide's members for meetings with Congress
• Organizing and attending coalition meetings for various initiatives
• Tracking current legislation
• Database management of coalition partners
• Helping with small administrative tasks, as needed

Current projects that interns may be involved in include:

• Foreign Aid Reform: Women Thrive Worldwide is working collaboratively with the NGO community and Congress to ensure efforts to modernize U.S. foreign assistance incorporate strategies to meet women’s needs and priorities. Activities will include research on relevant issues, attending external and internal meetings, drafting campaign materials, reaching out to Congressional offices and the new Administration, and coordinating with Thrive coalition partners.
• Global Resources and Opportunities for Women to Thrive (GROWTH) Act Campaign: Women Thrive Worldwide has launched a campaign to increase support for women's economic opportunity around the world. Activities will include research on relevant issues, reaching out to Congressional offices and organizations to garner additional support for the campaign, and coordinating with organizational partners on increasing support for the initiative.
• Campaign to End Gender-Based Violence through U.S. Leadership: Women Thrive Worldwide, together with the Family Violence Prevention Fund and Amnesty International USA, and its coalition partners, has launched a campaign to significantly increase U.S. activities to eliminate gender-based violence as part of U.S. international assistance programs. Activities will include research on relevant issues, drafting campaign materials, helping to organize coalition meetings, reaching out to Congressional offices, and coordinating with coalition partners.

All of Women Thrive Worldwide's internships require:

• Superior oral and written communication skills
• Excellent research skills
• Strong interest in international development economics and/or political organizing for international women's issues
• Enthusiastic and self-motivated work style with high level of attention to detail
• Interest and/or course work in international economics, development, and women's issues
• Excellent computer skills, particularly Microsoft Word, Excel and database management
• Experience with Congress is a plus

Time Commitment: Minimum 20 hours per week starting early January through mid May 2008

Women Thrive Worldwide has had much success with many interns. You will learn a lot and get a great reference. We invest a lot in our interns and you will have a high degree of responsibility and very high level of involvement in the organization. This internship is unpaid. However, Women Thrive Worldwide will reimburse reasonable daily transportation costs.

To Apply:

Please send:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• 2-3 page writing sample
• Contact information for 3 professional/academic references (including name of reference, organization, nature of relationship, email and phone number)

TO: Lara Pukatch, Manager, Policy and Government Affairs, lpukatch@womenthrive.org or mail hard copy to: Women Thrive Worldwide, Attn: Lara Pukatch, 1825 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20009.

No phone calls/faxes please. Be sure to mention "Global Development Policy Internship" on the application. Please note only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: Close of Business, Monday, December 15th, 2008

Website: http://www.womensedge.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=10&Itemid=38