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WILPF’s Women, Peace and Security Programme Is Looking for a Fellow

WILPF’s Women, Peace and Security Programme (WPS) is hiring a Fellow to start approximately June 1 for a 4-month term, with the possibility of extension.

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  • 3 min
WILPF International Secretariat
8 May 2024

The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is a leading global organisation focused on addressing the root causes of violence through a feminist lens. We are working to create a world of permanent peace built on feminist foundations of freedom, justice, nonviolence, human rights, and equality for all.

WILPF’s Women, Peace and Security Programme (WPS) is hiring a Fellow to start approximately June 1 for a 4-month term, with the possibility of extension. The WPS Programme is looking for a creative and organised individual with solid written and oral communication skills, the ability to take initiative, and the ability to remain flexible while working in a fast-paced environment. The candidate should also demonstrate a commitment to WILPF’s feminist, anti-militarist mission and values while maintaining WILPF’s high professional standards.

The Fellow will work closely with the WPS Programme Team on country and issues monitoring, research, and communications initiatives. The Fellow will provide communications, research, and policy analysis support to various WPS Programme initiatives, both online and in-person.

The WPS Fellowship is primarily aimed at individuals early in their careers who want an opportunity to research and write about women, peace and conflict issues while gaining professional experience with a non-governmental organisation.

Qualifications

  • Applicants must be currently enrolled in a graduate programme (e.g., MA, MS, JD, LLM, PhD) or recently graduated (no more than one year out of school) with studies in fields such as international relations/affairs, international law, political science, public policy and administration, human rights, international development, international security, and/or gender studies.
  • Comparable professional related experiences in these areas may also be considered in lieu of education requirements.
  • A demonstrated interest in working with a feminist, anti-militarist organisation and a dedication to intersectional feminist values.
  • Knowledge of, or a strong interest in, issues related to women, peace and security, gender, and/or conflict prevention, including but not limited to militarism, sexual violence in conflict, and/or women’s participation in political and peace-related decision-making.
  • Exceptional oral and written communication skills in English as well as attention to detail. Ability to speak additional languages (especially Arabic, French, or Spanish) is preferred.
  • Working knowledge of media, event planning, and social media platform X.

Location

This is a remote opportunity, with the option to work from the WILPF NY office, with preference to those based within 3 hours of New York’s time zone (Eastern Time). The Fellow’s primary working hours must be aligned with New York working hours.

Compensation

  • WILPF will provide the WPS Fellow with a stipend of $2,000 USD/month.
  • Start Date and Work Schedule ASAP, ideally June 2024 for up to 4 months, with a possibility to extend.
  • This fellowship has been established at an 80% work rate (32 hours/week). The Fellow must be willing to work 4 days a week, 8 hours a day (exact work schedule to be determined).

Submissions To be considered for the fellowship, applicants should submit the following in one single document to jobs@wilpf.org. Please note that any incomplete applications will not be considered. Deadline for application submissions is May 21, 2024. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

  • Cover letter indicating availability (including preferred start and end date) and interest in WPS and WILPF.
  • CV indicating education and relevant past activities and experiences relevant to this fellowship.
  • Writing Sample (no more than 5 pages), preferably addressing an issue related to women, peace and security, conflict prevention, or human rights, that demonstrates your ability to write in short, clear and concrete language (may be an excerpt of longer work).
  • Two references with names and contact information from an academic or field professional.

WILPF thanks all applicants for your interest; however, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. The fellowship will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate has been identified.

WILPF is an Equal Opportunity Employer

As an equal opportunity employer, WILPF welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates, irrespective of sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, ethnic or social origin, disability, religion, or belief. During the different stages of the recruitment process, specific measures may be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities

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WILPF International Secretariat

WILPF International Secretariat, with offices in Geneva and New York, liaises with the International Board and the National Sections and Groups for the implementation of WILPF International Programme, resolutions and policies as adopted by the International Congress. Under the direction of the Secretary-General, the Secretariat also provides support in areas of advocacy, communications, and financial operations.

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Melissa Torres

VICE-PRESIDENT

Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US’ Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. Her work includes training, research, and service provision with the American Red Cross, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Centre, and refugee resettlement programs in the U.S. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. She also contributes to WILPF’s emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration.

Jamila Afghani

VICE-PRESIDENT

Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. She is also an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional Representative to WILPF’s International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamila’s work experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic governance in post-conflict and transitional countries.

Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo

PRESIDENT

Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. She has a multi-disciplinary background with a track record of multiple socio-economic development projects implemented to improve policies, practices and peace-oriented actions. Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Section’s president until 2022. She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPF’s International Board in 2018. A teacher by profession and an African Union Trainer in peace support operations, Sylvie has extensive experience advocating for the political and social rights of women in Africa and worldwide.

WILPF Afghanistan

In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The Section also published 100 Untold Stories of War and Peace, a compilation of true stories that highlight the effects of war and militarisation on the region. 

IPB Congress Barcelona

WILPF Germany (+Young WILPF network), WILPF Spain and MENA Regional Representative

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Demilitarisation

WILPF uses feminist analysis to argue that militarisation is a counter-productive and ill-conceived response to establishing security in the world. The more society becomes militarised, the more violence and injustice are likely to grow locally and worldwide.

Sixteen states are believed to have supplied weapons to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2020 with the US supplying 74 % of weapons, followed by Russia. Much of this equipment was left behind by the US military and is being used to inflate Taliban’s arsenal. WILPF is calling for better oversight on arms movement, for compensating affected Afghan people and for an end to all militarised systems.

Militarised masculinity

Mobilising men and boys around feminist peace has been one way of deconstructing and redefining masculinities. WILPF shares a feminist analysis on the links between militarism, masculinities, peace and security. We explore opportunities for strengthening activists’ action to build equal partnerships among women and men for gender equality.

WILPF has been working on challenging the prevailing notion of masculinity based on men’s physical and social superiority to, and dominance of, women in Afghanistan. It recognizes that these notions are not representative of all Afghan men, contrary to the publicly prevailing notion.

Feminist peace​

In WILPF’s view, any process towards establishing peace that has not been partly designed by women remains deficient. Beyond bringing perspectives that encapsulate the views of half of the society and unlike the men only designed processes, women’s true and meaningful participation allows the situation to improve.

In Afghanistan, WILPF has been demanding that women occupy the front seats at the negotiating tables. The experience of the past 20 has shown that women’s presence produces more sustainable solutions when they are empowered and enabled to play a role.

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