Women’s Edge Coalition Grassroots e-Organizing Internship

Women Thrive Worldwide

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 (WFDA).

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.

Intern Information:

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

Requirements:

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

Specific duties:

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:

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.

Application Information:

Time Commitment: Minimum 20 hours per week starting early/mid September through mid/late December

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.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: Close of Business, Friday, August 7th, 2009

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 This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it 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.

Contact:     Women’s Edge Coalition
                 1825 Connecticut Avenue Suite 800
                 Washington DC 20009

Email: thrive@womenthrive.org

Website: http://www.womenthrive.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=585&Itemid=38