Internship Opportunity at SEI
Internship: Gender Equality, Social Equity and Poverty Programme
About the Programme
Environmental change and stresses impact everyone, but not equally. Social and gender inequalities influence people’s vulnerabilities to environmental shocks and stresses, thereby affecting their capacity to achieve well-being and security. Social inequality is characterized by multiple and intersecting social identities–such as gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, age, ability and class–that translate into privilege for some but disadvantage and marginalization for others. These inequalities are shaped by political, economic and cultural dynamics of power and affect people’s capacities to achieve sustainable development and well-being.
In this context, the SEI Asia Cluster on Gender, Environment and Development (GED) is dedicated to achieving transformative and socially inclusive sustainable development. Our team conducts rigorous research that informs key environment and development policy agendas, applying an intersectional lens on gender equality, social equity and poverty. We utilize participatory methodologies that strive towards social and environmental justice.
We are seeking an independent, creative and highly motivated individual to join our team and support several ongoing projects under the GED cluster, particularly, SEI’s global Programme on Gender Equality, Social Equity and Poverty (GESEP). The Programme aims to understand the interconnections between gender, equity, poverty and sustainability through the lens of power to inform and advance transformative and sustainable development. By engaging with disadvantaged groups and boundary partners through innovative approaches, the Programme seeks to support action and change agendas that address these issues. Additionally, the Programme supports the integration of GESEP dimensions in SEI research to enhance SEI’s internal capacity for policy-relevant research.
Role and responsibilities
As an intern with the GESEP Programme, you will contribute to research activities exploring the interconnected drivers and outcomes of gender inequality, social inequity, multidimensional poverty and unsustainability. Your primary involvemet will be in a work package focusing on the transition to human and environmental rights-based development. This includes:
- Conducting a literature review to identify synergies and tensions between human environmental rights and the rights of nature in research and policy debates.
- Developing a framework on these two models of rights, including enablers and barriers.
- Exploring evidence-based and actionable solutions for policy and practice through a case study.
- Developing various outputs that synthesize insights for target audiences, which may include journal articles, policy briefs, perspectives and podcast.
You may also contribute to other GESEP work packages and projects under the GED Cluster as required.
Who you are
We are looking for an enthusiastic and proactive individual passionate about research and policy engagement in the fields of gender and social equality at the nexus of environment, development and sustainability.
Formal qualifications and knowledge
- Ongoing or recently completed master’s degree in a relevant subject (development studies, gender studies, sociology, international relations, political economy or other related social sciences)
- Knowledge of qualitative research methodologies
- Understanding of gender, environment and development linkages
- Fluent in English with excellent writing and presentation skills
Desirable
- Familiarity with critical social science frameworks (e.g., political ecology, feminist political ecology).
- Experience in conducting literature reviews, evidence synthesis and stakeholder mappings
- Prior employment or internship experience in a relevant professional setting
Personal skills required
- Enthusiastic and passionate about research-to-policy work
- Ability to work well both in teams and independently
- Commitment to continuous learning