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Fellow: Asya Varbanova
Fellowship Site: United Nations Development Fund for Women, Regional Center
for Central and Eastern Europe, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Brief History of Organization (founding and salient steps):
The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) is the women’s
fund at the United Nations. It provides financial and technical assistance to
innovative programs and strategies that promote women’s human rights,
economic security, and political empowerment.
UNIFEM works in over 100 countries to ensure that commitments made by the international
community to achieve gender equality, such as the Beijing Platform for Action
and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against
Women, are fulfilled. UNIFEM also works to incorporate gender concerns into
all levels of programming in the UN system and in efforts towards the fulfillment
of the Millennium Development Goals.
Departments/Programs in the Organization:
Regional Office for Central and Eastern Europe – Economic Programme.
Responsibilities/Duties/Tasks undertaken by the Fellow:
Assisted in the implementation of Phase I of UNIFEM CEE 2004-2007 Economic Programme,
which included a Regional Study on Women and Employment in Central and Eastern
Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Specifically:
• Assisted UNIFEM’s economic advisor in researching and drafting
reports on topics to be covered in the regional analysis such as gender pay
gap, reconciliation of work and family life, labor market segregation, and female
unemployment;
• Assisted Regional Programme Director (RPD) in launching Phase II of
the Economic Programme which would include in-depth analyses of women’s
position in the labor market in four countries in the region;
• Served as a liaison between the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
and UNIFEM CEE;
• Assisted Programme Assistant in preparing regional meeting of NGOs on
the Beijing +10 process;
• Compiled material to be included in the annual UNIFEM CEE brochure and
on its new website.
Accomplishments:
• Learning: Greater understanding of the Millennium Development Goals
and in particular the linkages between gender equality and the achievement of
other development goals; Better understanding on how gender can be integrated
in economics, in particular the economic and budgetary implications of gender
inequality on the work place and violence against women; Increased sensitivity
to the challenges facing women and women advocates in more developed regions
where human rights are thought to be already “secured.”
• Achieved respect from colleagues demonstrated by their desire to involve
me further in UNIFEM’s work;
• Completed sections (“boxes”) to be included in the final
report of the regional study;
• Provided input to paper on “Trafficking in Women and Lack of Economic
Opportunities” to be presented at an OSCE meeting on trafficking for the
Stability Pact Task Force. The paper will also serve as a basis for a new project
on anti-trafficking to be launched by UNIFEM in 2005.
• Assisted in coordinating meetings and events.
Challenges:
Getting accustomed to the UN technical terminology. Learning about the position
and relationships between various actors relevant to the work of UNIFEM –
from other UN agencies and UNIFEM headquarters, local partners in governments
and NGOs, outside consultants, etc.
As my internship lasted a little over 3 months, there was pressure to learn
a lot quickly so I could become more involved in substantive programming activities.
This was a challenge, but also an opportunity to achieve deeper understanding
and contribute more to the work of the office.
During my internship a lot of initiatives and changes happened in the office.
For example, two staff members resigned, the new Regional 2004-2007 MYFF (Multi-year
Funding Framework) was being written and various decisions needed to be made
about future programming activities. Therefore the situation in the office was
less ‘normal’ and more hectic. However, this also had a positive
impact on my role in the organization in that I was given more responsibility
than what I otherwise might have had.
Conferences Attended:
Workshop on preparation for Beijing + 10 attended by NGO representatives and
aimed at pinpointing challenges and achievements for women’s rights in
the CEE region since the Beijing Platform for Action in 1995.
Conference on Women in the Labor Market to be attended by statisticians, economists,
and gender activists which will mark Phase II of the Economic Programme –
to be held in November.
Other projects/works started or completed:
Assisted in launching a project on linking anti-trafficking strategies and economic
development programmes in order to address the root causes of trafficking in
women for sexual exploitation.
Reviewed and analyzed proposals on women’s use of information and communication
technologies, gender budgets, and violence against women.
Assisted RPD in formulating UNIFEM’s contribution to an upcoming conference
on “Unemployment in the South-East Balkans” organized by UNDP Regional
Center in Bratislava.
How has this fellowship changed the ideas and expectations you had before leaving?
The fellowship surpassed my expectations because I had the opportunity to work
closely with the Regional Programme Director and to attain a good grasp of how
UNIFEM and the UN system in general function on a national, regional, and international
level. I became aware of some of the difficulties and opportunities posed by
having multiple-layer decision-making and the great need to stay as close as
possible to what is happening “on the ground.”
How has your motivation for human rights work changed/altered or remained the
same?
My motivation to work in the field of human rights has strengthened. I had the
example of people who do not get discouraged to advocate for human rights in
the face of indifference and denial of such problems and numerous constraints
including financial ones.
Who had the greatest effect on you during your fellowship experience and why?
The Regional Programme Director who was my direct supervisor impressed me with
her ability to work with various stakeholders, to bridge differences and to
get people to focus on a larger, common cause. She was extremely accessible
and open to ideas and discussion of how work in the office can be organized
better. She had a rich spectrum of experiences in international work, and was
very sensitive to the specifics of the region and what women’s rights
advocacy requires in the local context.
How did your perspectives on the world change from interning at a local/national/
international human rights organization?
Interning at an international human rights organization made me more alert to
problems which are not widely publicized and might easily get lost in the stream
of other issues which dominate the agenda for policymakers, the media, and people
in general. Human rights violations such as domestic violence and discrimination
in the workplace affect a large number of people in a very tangible way, yet
are infrequently given priority on the political and social arena. The internship
at UNIFEM made me more sensitive to the gravity and urgency of various human
rights problems, which are yet to be fully recognized and acted upon in many
parts of the world, including Eastern Europe.
What quote would captivate “a moment” that you had during your
fellowship?
While I cannot think of a specific quote, a moment that I would not forget is
when my supervisor asked me to participate in the regional conference on Women
in the Labor Market, which I helped organize. It will take place in November
and will bring local economic expertise together to build on current work under
the economic programme.
After completion of your fellowship, how do you anticipate bringing your fellowship
experience back home to your local community?
I anticipate to become involved as a volunteer in Minnesota Advocates for Human
Rights which have been working with UNIFEM CEE on a website “Stop Violence
Against Women” to be used as a resource for women in CEE and the CIS.
Through various projects, research, and advocacy, Minnesota Advocate’s
Women Program works to improve the lives of women in the United States and internationally.
I believe that my experience at UNIFEM CEE can be a useful tool in the work
of Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights on the STOPVAW website and on various
local projects.
Organizational Profile
Full Name of Organization: United National Development Fund for Women Central
and Eastern Europe Office
Abbreviation and initials commonly used: UNIFEM CEE, CEDAW, MDG, RPD, MYFF,
UNDP, UNECE
Organizational Address:
UNIFEM
Grosslingova 35
Bratislava 81109
Slovak Republic
Telephone number: (421-2) 59337-160
Fax number: (421-2) 59337-171
Email address: [email protected]
Names of Executive Director and Senior Staff:
Ms. Osnat Lubrani – Regional Programme Director
Ms. Zuzana Krkoskova – Operations Associate
Number of Employed Staff (full-time; part-time): 6 full-time, 3 part-time
Number of Volunteers: 1
Objectives of the Organization:
UNIFEM’s programme strategy is guided by a framework based on promoting
women’s rights, opportunities and capacities. Within this framework, UNIFEM
focuses on three areas:
• Strengthening women’s economic rights and empowering women to
enjoy secure livelihoods as entrepreneurs, producers and home-based workers,
especially in the context of new trade agendas and technologies;
• Engendering governance and peace-building to increase women’s
participation in decision-making processes that shape their lives;
• Promoting women’s human rights to eliminate all forms of violence
against women and transform development into a more peaceful, equitable and
sustainable process.
Domestic/International Programs:
UNIFEM's thematic priorities – economic security and rights, women's human
rights and governance and leadership – are addressed in relation to regional
realities in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean,
and Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Date of Information: September 24, 2004
Information Supplied by:
Asya Varbanova