Associate Programme Support Officer

Contract

This is a UNV International Youth contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Youth contracts.

The office presently leads the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda in Sri Lanka. With regard to the WPS Agenda, UN Women recognizes that ongoing and emerging conflicts have devastating consequences, including the widening of development gaps between women and men. Women frequently make up the bulk of displaced and refugee populations and are disproportionately targeted for sexual violence. Despite being at the forefront of peace movements, women are rarely part of formal peace negotiations.

UN Women acts to build women’s participation and influence in decision-making to prevent and resolve conflicts and works towards more inclusive and peaceful societies. UN Women’s programmes on women, peace and security are guided by a series of commitments to women’s rights. These include the historic UN Security Council Resolution 1325, and seven supporting resolutions—1820, 1888, 1889, 1960, 2106, 2122 and 2242. Other key reference points are the Beijing Platform for Action and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Following the aftermath of nearly three decades of conflict in 2009, UN Women aims to ensure that peacebuilding initiatives in Sri Lanka include leveraging women’s capacities and contributions, and developing strategies for inclusion which recognize their roles, and diverse experiences of conflict. Research indicates that without women’s engagement at the stages of peace consolidation, the dangers of relapse are heightened.

In Sri Lanka, decades of armed conflict brought a major transformation in women’s roles in society. With the large loss or disappearances of spouses, over 1.2 million women became heads of households and were left to cope with the loss of family members, death and disappearance of income earners, and displacement unassisted. This has resulted in intersectional vulnerabilities and exploitation of women directly and indirectly affected by conflict. Poverty, discrimination based on gender, multiple responsibilities of women, little to limited support structures, insecurity, vulnerable forms of employment, indebtedness, limited access to basic services, goods and resources, and the extent of trauma undergone converge to increase the likelihood of exploitation and re-victimization, particularly through sexual exploitation and sexual bribery. Additionally, both the COVID-19 pandemic and the current economic crisis in Sri Lanka have had – and continue to have – devastating consequences, and women and girls have been noted as being among those most at risk.

It aims to provide targeted support for women who have been, and continue to be, directly harmed by conflict, violence and climate insecurity. In addition, it aims to strengthen the security of marginalized women and girls, and the economic empowerment of women through access to equal opportunities and resources. The Plan also aims to strengthen coordination between stakeholders of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, which is vital to sustainable peace and development in Sri Lanka. UN Women will be supporting the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment on the coordination, implementation and monitoring of the NAP WPS.

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Office – UN Women Sri Lanka, the UN Youth Volunteer will support the implementation of UN Women’s ongoing programmes on WPS, gender-responsive peacebuilding and conflict prevention. The UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

· Support the UN Women team with analysis and research of the political, social and economic situation in the country to inform programming.

· Liaise with other UN agencies, project partners, consultants, vendors and other stakeholders in support of project implementation.

· Provide administrative support related to organizing logistics for project activities, events, trainings, meetings, in accordance with UN Women rules and regulations.

Assist in periodic monitoring of project implementation.

· Support preparation of internal technical reports and briefs including donor reports, documentation of project activities, outputs, and outcomes.

· Assist in organizing and coordinating advocacy and communication campaigns with partners.

· Any other responsibilities as assigned by the supervisor.

Accountability Adaptability and Flexibility Building Trust Client Orientation Commitment and Motivation Commitment to Continuous Learning Communication Creativity Empowering Others Ethics and Values Integrity Judgement and Decision-making Knowledge Sharing Leadership Managing Performance Planning and Organizing Professionalism Respect for Diversity Self-Management Technological Awareness Vision Working in Teams

gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE).

· Previous experience in programme implementation, partnerships, and coordination.

· Demonstrated interest and/or previous experience in peacebuilding is an advantage.

· Previous experience in the development sector with various stakeholders is an asset.

· Previous experience as a volunteer and/or experience of another culture, (i.e. studies, volunteer work, internship) is desirable.

Sri Lanka is an island nation located off the south coast of India. It’s home to an estimated population of over 21 million people. It is a multi- ethnic, multi- cultural and multi- religious country. Colombo is situated in the Western Province of Sri Lanka and is the commercial capital of the country. The city is located on the west coast of the island, adjacent to the administrative capital, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Bandaranaike International Airport is located 35km from Colombo and is served by the main international airlines.

Sri Lanka is a tropical country with moderate temperate and high humidity all throughout the year. Average temperature in Colombo ranges between 27 and 30 degrees Celsius. The island experiences two main monsoon seasons, where heavy rainfalls occur, from May to August and October to January. Sri Lankan food is characterized by fragrant spices, all forms of coconut, and rice. Rice and curry are the main dishes. Sri Lankan cuisine tends to be quite spicy.

There are hotels and other types of accommodation options available in Colombo. Supermarkets, banking, and medical facilities are present within the city. Telephone and Internet service is widely available. Phone plans and data are inexpensive; however, you should not expect internet service to work consistently or at high speed. Since 2022, Sri Lanka has been grappling with an economic crisis, where there have been public unrest and protests. The prices of common commodities fluctuate regularly, and shortages can also be experienced. Sri Lanka became a member of the United Nations on 14 December 1955.