Deadline: 15 July 2019

The UN Women is seeking applications for the Beijing+25 Youth Task Force to ensure that young people are mobilized, engaged and contribute to all stages and aspects of the global review processes.

The Youth Task Force will consist of 30 young people from broad youth-led global networks and organisations and civic movements.

It will seek a composition that represents young people in all their diversity and across intersectional complexities including marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, indigenous and ethnic identities, and refugee or migrant status.

While great progress has been made since 189 governments adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) in 1995, many young women and girls continue to be amongst the most marginalized and vulnerable.

They face multiple barriers including violence, limited or unequal access to resources, persistent inequalities and stereotypical cultural norms. Breaking the trajectories of gender inequality has been a particularly difficult and slow process.

At the current pace of change, it will take 50 years to achieve parity in political participation and 118 years for true pay equality – unless we act now.

2020 will be a pivotal year for this urgent action and a defining moment that might determine whether we are going to achieve gender equality by 2030. It is undeniable that unless young people unite and mobilize to empower women and girls, the realization of gender equality by 2030 will not be possible.

It is within this context that UN Women is making a call for the composition of a time-limited (August 2019- September 2020) Youth Task force

The successful meaningful involvement of young people in the Beijing+25 review processes depends on young people driving the preparatory and implementation stages of the review processes. The role of the youth task force is to work closely with UN Women on a voluntary basis to ensure that young people are mobilized, engaged and contribute to all stages and aspects of the global review processes.

The Youth Task Force will offer guidance and support to UN Women’s efforts to ensure the meaningful engagement of youth in Beijing+25 review processes focusing on the 64th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, the Global Forum for Gender Equality and the 75th session of the General Assembly.

Thematic Committees

1. Policy and Drafting Committee: The Policy and Drafting Committee will in close collaboration with UN Women draft concept notes, position papers and develop a road map of time-bound tasks leading up to the key events of the global Beijing+25 review processes. The committee will also be responsible for the formulation of clear action points following each bi-weekly meeting.
2. Outreach and Communication Committee: Based on the Beijing+25 Youth Strategy and in collaboration with the UN Women Communication team, the Outreach and Communication Committee will work on a communication plan, develop promotional material and carry out media campaigns. The committee will also reach out to different youth networks for more inclusive consultations.
3. Capacity building Committee: The Capacity building Committee will focus on designing and planning how to best prepare young people and build their capacity ahead of involvement in preparatory organs as well as key events of Beijing+25.
4. The Logistics Committee: The Logistics Committee will in collaboration with UN Women focus on logistical tasks such as the planning of youth related events that are part of the Beijing+25 process, including (but not limited to) CSW 64, the Global Forum for Gender Equality and the 75th session of the General Assembly.

Focus Areas

• poverty,
• education and training,
• health,
• violence,
• armed conflict,
• economy,
• power and decision-making,
• institutional mechanisms,
• human rights,
• media,
• environment, and
• girl child.

Outputs

The Youth Task Force will be an opportunity for young people to:

• Support and guide UN Women’s efforts to place young people at the center of the Beijing+25 processes.
• Be part of a network of young supporters that will foster momentum on youth engagement for gender equality on a global level.
• Exchange expertise and knowledge with young people that are working towards the same objective.
• Recognition of contribution.

Eligibility Criteria

UN Women will nominate up to 30 members for the Beijing+25 Youth Task Force from a pool of applications received through an open call. Applicants will be chosen against the following criteria:

• Regional and geographic balance;
• Compliance with the age requirement;
• Nomination to the task force will adhere to the leave no one behind principle ensuring diverse representation across intersectional complexities, including marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, indigenous and ethnic identities, and refugee or migrant status;
• Proven experience in youth mobilization;
• Interest and motivation. Applicants are invited to indicate preference for membership of the thematic committees, and UN Women will in collaboration with members establish the committees according to fit of experience, competences and skills;
• Priority will be given to applicants that represent broad networks, youth organisations, and civic movements from the following constituencies; youth gender equality advocates, young women human rights defenders, young male gender activists, rural, indigenous, lesbian, bi, and queer young women, trans, intersex, and gender non-conforming young people, disability, child widows, child brides, young women living with HIV, young workers including migrant workers and domestic workers, young migrants and refugees.

How to Apply

Interested applicants can apply via given website.

For more information, visit the following link:

http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2019/6/announcer-call-for-applications-beijing25-youth-task-force