2021/2022 Fully Funded AUC-UNDP African Women Leaders Fellowship Programme at UNDP Headquarters in New York or in a regional or country office

UNDP is searching for 25 young African women to join the second cohort of the African Young Women Leaders (AfYWL) Fellowship Programme.

The AfYWL Fellowship Programme offers an interesting assignment with UNDP at its HQ in New York or in one of its regional or country offices. The fellow may also be assigned to the UN Secretariat or the AU Commission. For the second cohort (2021-2022), UNDP will work with the AUC and AU member states to enhance women’s leadership and representation in public and private institutions through targeted leadership training and capacity development to promote the participation of young women in decision-making roles.

The 12-month fellowship rests on three pillars:

Equipping outstanding young African women leaders with the leadership skills and experience required to advance the SDGs and Agenda 2063 and contribute effectively to decision-making in public, private and multilateral institutions at home and abroad.
Creating a diverse pool of talent to enhance UNDP’s organizational efficiency and contribute to more responsive and effective policies and programmes.
Developing a network of African young women professionals that engages in promoting innovative, sustainable and inclusive development through South-South development exchange.

The fellowship is a partnership between the African Union Commission (AUC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Established under the framework of the AUC Chairperson’s 1 Million by 2021 Initiative, the fellowship aims to provide opportunities for African youth in the key areas of education, employment, entrepreneurship and engagement, and mainstream youth and women in key development spaces.

Eligibility and selection criteria:

Female candidates only.
National of an African Union member state. Priority will be given to nationals of AU member states that did not benefit from the first cohort of the Fellowship Programme.
Aged below 34 years at the date of application.
Master’s degree or equivalent in Economics, Political Science, Business Administration, International Relations/Development, Law, Communications, Digitalization or other related development field.
Maximum one year (post master) of relevant and paid working experience in research, analysis and programme/project development, implementation and management.
Available in late 2021/early 2022 to participate in an induction workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Available in 2021/22 to dedicate 12 months to a fellowship assignment.
Willing to live and work outside their country of residence.
Understanding of, and interest in, poverty eradication, sustainable structural transformation, the SDGs and Agenda 2063.
Capacity to gather comprehensive information on complex problems or situations, and ability to evaluate and analyze information accurately in order to identify key issues and solutions.

Benefits

The programme will cover expenses related to travel and medical insurance, and each fellow will receive a monthly stipend to cover accommodation and living costs at their respective duty station.
An earmarked learning budget will be also allocated for undertaking relevant learning and development activities.
Applicants should note that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, physical travel will be dependent on the recommended guidelines of each recruiting office.

Content and methodology of supervision:

As part of the AfYWL Fellowship Programme, the fellows will benefit from the following supervision modalities:

Joint structured induction programme hosted by UNDP and AUC.
Structured guidance provided by the supervisor.
Coaching and mentoring by experienced UNDP People Manager.
Establishment of a work plan with clear key results and deliverables.
Effective supervision through knowledge sharing and performance/development feedback throughout the assignment.
Participation in Unit/Team/Office meetings to ensure integration and operational effectiveness.
Guidance and career advice in relation to learning and career growth opportunities within the field of expertise.

Training and Learning

As part of the fellowship assignment, the fellow will benefit from the following training and learning opportunities:

Participation in a dedicated induction workshop in Addis Ababa (early 2022) hosted jointly by AUC and UNDP (all costs covered).
Access to an earmarked learning budget for relevant learning/development activities.
Participation in regular mentorship by senior UNDP staff.
Participation in a transformative leadership development training programme jointly developed by AUC and UNDP.
Support from UNDP on other corporate learning and development activities.
In addition, the Fellow will benefit from the relevant training and learning modalities/opportunities offered in the receiving office.