ITC SheTrades Initiative Intern

Work Location Home-based Expected duration January 2026 to 20 June Duties and Responsibilities BACKGROUND: The International Trade Centre (ITC) is a joint agency of the United Nations (UN) and World Trade Organization (WTO) based in Geneva, Switzerland. ITC's mission is to enable small business export success in developing and transition-economy countries, by providing, with partners, sustainable and inclusive development solutions to the private sector, trade support institutions (TSIs) and policymakers. The International Trade Centre launched the SheTrades Initiative which aims to empower women entrepreneurs and producers around the globe by providing essential knowledge, resources, and networks. ITC SheTrades helps women access opportunities, overcome barriers, and participate in and gain from global trade. The Initiative unites governments, business support organizations, the private sector, and local entrepreneurs, to work together to strengthen women's business capabilities and shape a more inclusive, sustainable global economy. The projects designed and implemented under the SheTrades Initiative target: Policymakers: including initiatives on public-private partnerships, advocacy, trade facilitation, assessments at national and sectoral levels, awareness-raising and building of government and institutional capacity to source from women-led businesses. Key areas include the:
• Gender-Responsive Public Procurement (GRPP) Global Campaign which actively mobilizes governments and organizations to re-shape procurement practices as only 1% of government contracts go to women-owned businesses. Global public procurement markets are valued at $13 trillion which provide a big opportunity for small businesses. Institutions: involving relevant TISIs as multipliers and to ensure sustainability of project outcomes. Building the capacity of relevant TISIs, including Women's Business Associations (WBAs), to connect members to commercial opportunities; and working with TISIs, in particular Trade and Investment Promotion Organizations (TiPOs), to improve their service offering, outreach and integration of women in their networks, provide women entrepreneurs with capacity building and other empowerment activities. Entrepreneurs: supporting women entrepreneurs to enhance their export capability, ensure their products and services meet buyers' requirements and provide matchmaking opportunities to generate export transactions. Key areas include:
• Facilitating the market access of women entrepreneurs by offering connections to international trade fairs, trade missions, and B2B events, which offer valuable networking and exposure.
• Market-related soft skills trainings which supports entrepreneurial thinking and uses a behavioral approach to encourage a growth mindset and to challenge limiting beliefs. The trainings cover topics such as communication skills for pitching and negotiation, leadership, addressing conflict and to build emotional intelligence. Through these skills women entrepreneurs can build strong and successful businesses that contribute to their growth and prosperity. DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES The intern will work under the direct supervision of the SheTrades Associate Programme Officer. He/she will carry out the following duties, with a focus on ongoing projects in under the SheTrades Initiaitve: A) Training Design and Facilitation Support: - Assist in adapting existing soft skills training modules to align with project objectives, national priorities, and local cultural contexts. - Support the contextualization of training materials (e.g., role-play scenarios, exercises, reflection prompts) for various country profiles and target groups. - Contribute to the organization and facilitation of virtual and in-person workshops, including the preparation of training materials and outreach to participants. - Participate in agenda planning for Training-of-Trainers (ToT) sessions, national rollouts, and motivation labs. B) Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Support - Contribute to the drafting of qualitative questions to capture behavioural changes, mindset shifts, and improvements in interpersonal communication during and after trainings. - Support the refinement of MEL tools (e.g., pre- and post-assessments, reflection journals, trainer observation grids) in line with ITC reporting templates. - Compile data from evaluation forms and trainer reports and assist in basic analysis using Excel and data visualization tools. - Support the synthesis of key findings for inclusion in SheTrades reports, learning briefs, and donor reports. C) Communications Support - Assist in collecting and packaging qualitative insights and case stories that demonstrate changes in mindset or behaviour among beneficiaries. - Support the drafting and scheduling of content to increase the visibility of project activities and results across digital platforms (e.g., social media, websites) and project publications. - Contribute to gathering and drafting information for social media posts and success stories as part of a project-wide communication campaign. - Assist in developing simple frameworks to track and present change through storytelling or theory-of-change approaches. D) General Programme and Coordination Support - Liaise with project teams and trainers to support consistency in the rollout and documentation of soft skills activities. - Draft invitation letters, coordination emails, and follow-up communications with trainers, partners, and participants. - Assist in maintaining task lists, planning tools, and training calendars, particularly for multi-country programmes. - Prepare concise summaries of virtual ToT sessions, including slide timestamping, discussion points, and follow-up actions. - Conduct desk research on behavioural and mindset shifts, as well as adult learning theories relevant to women's economic empowerment and entrepreneurship. ITC champions workforce diversity, inclusion, gender equality and gender parity and considers all qualified persons - of all genders - equally, including those with disabilities, without discrimination or prejudice of any kind Qualifications/special skills Applicants to the programme shall, at the time of application, meet one of the following requirements: a) Be enrolled in the final academic year of the first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor's level or equivalent); or b) Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); or c) Have graduated with a university degree (Bachelor's or Master's equivalent) and, if selected, must commence the internship within one year of graduation. Relevant field of studies e.g. communications, Psychology, Business studies, International trade, Sustainable development, Economics Languages LANGUAGES AND SKILLS:
• Good level of English
• Frech or Arabic both written and oral is an advantage.
• Computer literate, particularly regarding the use of major office tools (e.g., Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel) and social media.
• Good communication and analytical skills and the capacity to present findings clearly in writing and orally.
• Consultancy and/or business analysis experience would be an advantage Additional Information Learning Elements: Upon successful completion of the internship, the intern will: - Have deepened their understanding of gender-responsive soft skills training and behavioural change by contributing to the adaptation of training modules and learning tools tailored for women entrepreneurs, business support organizations, and trainers. - Have enhanced their monitoring and evaluation (M&E) skills through supporting the design and administration of tools to track behavioural and mindset changes, compiling qualitative and quantitative data, and preparing visual and narrative inputs for internal and donor reporting. - Have strengthened their research and analytical capabilities through developing qualitative questions, reflection prompts, and adult learning exercises grounded in behavioural science, gender theory, and communication models. - Have gained experience in impact storytelling by identifying case studies and synthesizing real-life examples that illustrate soft skills transformation, entrepreneurial growth, and improved market readiness among women-led businesses. - Have built capacity in intercultural communication and team collaboration by contributing to content development and facilitation across diverse country contexts, and by working closely with global project teams, local trainers, and implementing partners. Student work plans can be adjusted to meet academic requirements in their field of study, and time can be allocated as needed to support academic obligations Intern Specific text Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS' BANK ACCOUNTS

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