Maternal Health Intern

The Position:

Under the direct supervision of the SRHR Data Specialist, and the overall guidance of the SRHR/Maternal Health Advisor in UNFPA Asia-Pacific Regional Office, the Maternal Health Intern will support the planning, development and implementation of key activities related to the UNFPA Strategic Plan 2022-2025 and the achievement of UNFPA’s Transformative Result on Zero Preventable Maternal Deaths by 2030.

A work-plan with agreed tasks and deliverables for the duration of the Internship, as well as learning opportunities, will be agreed upon. Periodic progress meetings will lead to a beneficial environment for the Intern enhancing her/his skills and capacity in areas related to UNFPA’s mandate and APRO.

 

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

 

You would be responsible for:

The Intern will be responsible for delivering high-quality support to the SRHR Data Specialist and SRHR Technical Advisor in all areas of maternal health programme implementation. Several key activities will be conducted at the regional level in 2025, with a specific focus on knowledge management, strategic communications and advocacy related to midwifery and maternal health, as well as disseminating knowledge updates and training opportunities for the midwifery workforce, and strengthening maternal health data systems and Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care networks.

In particular, it is envisioned that during the internship the selected Intern will provide support on:

• Knowledge Management and Communications related to Maternal health and Midwifery activities: in collaboration with APRO communications team, the Intern will lead the knowledge management process with regards to multiple Midwifery Faculty Development courses and other Midwifery Education training courses developed by APRO, taking the lead in publication processes and website updates. In addition, the Intern will support the development of stories, social media posts, blogs and/or other communication material on Maternal Health & Midwifery, and support the preparation of publications as needed.
• State of the World’s Midwifery Workforce Analysis Regional Study: The Intern will support the SRHR team in APRO in the process of finalisation and dissemination of a regional study for the midwifery workforce analysis. The work will include facilitating the editing and design of report final manuscript, and organisation of the report’s dissemination, including technical webinars and country discussions;
• Roll out midwifery training courses: the Intern will support the SRHR Team to develop, organise and administer online training courses aimed at midwifery educators across the region, in collaboration with technical implementing partners and country office colleagues;
• Data Systems strengthening – Maternal Perinatal Deaths Surveillance and Response (MPDRS) and Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC): the Intern will support the SRHR team in APRO to plan, review and implement technical support activities on strengthening MPDSR data systems and EmONC Networks data analyses in countries across Asia-Pacific. In particular, the programme will focus on specific countries of the region (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Timor-Leste and Nepal) which are receiving dedicated technical assistance through a DFAT-funded programme, as well as support other countries of the region requesting APRO technical assistance on MPDSR. The Intern will collaborate with the team on the data analysis and revision of MPDSR and EmONC functionality data, liaising with technical and developing case studies and other materials on the programme and its regional implementation;

Additional tasks might be agreed upon together with the Intern, based on the requirements of the projects and available learning opportunities.

 

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education: 

Applicants to UNFPA’s internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

1. Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as a master’s programme, or higher);
2. Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (such as bachelor’s degree or equivalent);
3. Have recently graduated with a university degree (as defined in (A) and (B) above) and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation;
4. Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship programme and undertake the internship as part of this programme.

The selected Intern will have an educational background in public health, medicine, midwifery, health sciences, social sciences, development studies or other related fields.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• Some experience in working with development agencies, including in volunteer capacity.
• Fluency in English. Knowledge of other languages is an asset.
• Strong analytical and writing skills.
• Initiative, sound judgment and demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with staff members from different national and cultural backgrounds.

Languages: 

English proficiency is mandatory

 

Learning Elements:

Upon completion of the assignment, and depending on its duration, the Intern will gain the following knowledge assets:

1. Increased understanding of the UNFPA and the SRHR/ Maternal Health technical work within UNFPA APRO and country offices
2. Write, formulate and review substantive technical documents and analyses
3. Understand the UNFPA mandate and policies, including regional set-up ad country office support
4. Understand UNFPA programme design and delivery mechanisms
5. Learn UN technical language, working procedures, and coordination mechanisms 
6. Work experience as a team member in a multicultural setting & Network with UN colleagues 

 

Financial Aspects:

Interns do not receive a salary or any other form of remuneration from UNFPA. The costs associated with an intern's participation in the programme must be assumed either by the nominating institution, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students, or by the students themselves, who will have to meet living expenses as well as make their own arrangements for accommodation, travel and other requirements.

However, Interns may receive a small stipend to help cover basic daily expenses related to the internship, if not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation, or scholarship programme. The amount of the stipend varies according to the duty station. In addition, applicants must have medical insurance for the duration of the internship. Proof of insurance will need to be submitted before the internship begins. UNFPA does not provide medical insurance for interns. 


 

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

 

Disclaimer:

Selection may be subject to background and reference checks, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.