Project Support Intern/Volunteer: SEMA

Title: Project Support Intern/Volunteer: SEMA

Location: The Netherlands (partly remote, partly from our office in The Hague)

Period: Starting 12 August 2024, full-time for a period of 6 months

Languages: Bilingual fluency in English and French, knowledge of Spanish or Arabic is a plus

About Us

The Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation is a survivor-centred rights-based international organisation, dedicated to ending sexual violence as a weapon of war globally. The Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation supports survivors’ demands for a world where sexual violence as a weapon of war is no longer tolerated, and bears consequences for individual perpetrators and states. We work for a future where survivors receive the holistic care & compensation they need to rebuild their lives. We create opportunities for survivors to speak out and be heard, and where they can organise to create change, influence policies, and demand justice and accountability.

We are working towards a future where sexual violence in conflict is no longer seen as inevitable, but is recognised for what it is: a crime that should have consequences. We want the international community to draw a line against wartime sexual violence and to hold states and individuals accountable.

Internship overview

The scope of this 6-month internship opportunity with the Mukwege Foundation is to support the programme manager for SEMA with coordination, communication, event planning and other project management tasks.

SEMA currently represents survivors of conflict-related sexual violence from 26 countries ranging from Africa and South America to the Middle East and Europe. Working together, these survivors draw global attention to the continued use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and call for the changes needed to end the violence and achieve justice. SEMA members influence policies and programmes by advocating for changes in how we address sexual violence in conflict. The SEMA network enables its members to share experiences and to learn directly from one another. The Mukwege Foundation currently acts as the Secretariat of SEMA.

Tasks

Assist the programme manager to:

• Organise the SEMA meetings (online);
• Help identify and liaise with translators and interpreters;
• Support translation work;
• Support the organisation of project-related travel, including visa applications, flight bookings, and other logistical tasks;
• Provide general support with communications-related tasks, including keeping the SEMA website and social media platforms up to date;
• Conduct desk research to draft SEMA country profiles;
• Liaise with the communication department at MF about SEMA communication strategy;
• Help with narrative and financial reporting;
• Assist with keeping project budgets up-to-date;
• Contribute to the mapping of relevant stakeholders in the field of CRSV.

With mutual agreement, other discrete tasks of a similar nature may also be assigned.

Profile of the candidate

• Master’s degree in international development, or relevant subject
• Strong event planning skills: organisational, logistics, communication, and networking skills
• Past experience organising events
• Past experience with communication work
• Perfect command of English and French (mandatory)
• Good understanding of written and spoken Spanish, Arabic, Dutch, and/or other languages is a plus
• Past experience in working with survivors of Gender-Based Violence or other war crimes is a plus
• Attentive to details, highly organised, and autonomous
• Ability to prioritise and work under pressure
• Commitment to women’s rights.

What we offer

We offer either an Internship or Volunteer agreement, full-time or part-time, 32-40 hours/week. To qualify for an internship contract, the applicant must be an enrolled student and a signature of an agreed learning assignment in relation to the applicant’s studies is required.

A small monthly remuneration can be offered based on Dutch law, depending on whether the agreement is a student agreement or volunteer agreement for a candidate not enrolled as a student. Student agreements are renumerated at 400 EUR per month (full-time), and volunteers not enrolled in studies receive a volunteer allowance of 190 EUR/month.

Work location: Must be based in The Netherlands

Duration: 6 months full-time, starting in August 2024

You will work with a small team of colleagues from all around the world. Whilst getting first-hand experience in coordinating international projects and events, you have the opportunity to make a real contribution to the ongoing activities supporting the national and global survivor networks.

Furthermore, this internship offers a unique opportunity to work directly with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and gain experience in adopting a survivor-centred approach.