What is your educational background?

I have a Master’s Degree in Social and Public Policy from the University of Helsinki and an MSc in Comparative Social Policy from the University of Oxford

What made you apply to the JPO programme/what is your motivation to work with your UN agency?
Earlier, I worked in Brussels with a focus on women’s labour market issues and international labour standards in the EU. The JPO position at UN Women was an exciting opportunity to build on this experience in the global context and to contribute to the unique mandate of UN Women to lead and coordinate the UN system’s work on gender equality. 

What are the main activities/tasks you are working on? What is a day at the office/in the field like? 
I work in the Office of the Focal Point for Women in the UN system; or ‘Gender Parity Team’ more familiarly. Gender parity is no new goal in the UN, yet there is still lots of work to do. In my role I support the implementation of the UN Secretary-General’s System-wide Strategy on Gender Parity and the Enabling Environment Guidelines as well as the recently published Field-specific Enabling Environment Guidelines. The Guidelines build on the notion that if we want to reach and sustain gender parity, we also need to change the organizational culture. The Guidelines provide very concrete examples and recommendations on how to do that, for instance in the areas of workplace flexibility, family-friendly policies and standards of conduct. Hence, my work focuses on the UN system internally and the UN as a workplace.

In practice, I provide policy support and guidance to UN entities, develop capacity building and monitor and analyze progress. For instance, my task was to conduct research for the UN Secretary-General’s report on the Improvement in the Status of Women which provides unique information and data on gender parity situation in the entire UN system. Another example and one of the highlights of my assignment was to organize a Training of Trainers workshop on gender parity in East and Southern Africa region in cooperation with UN Women’s regional office in Kenya. I find it very rewarding to work with colleagues across the UN system and see the positive impact that is achieved through collaboration and dialogue. 

In your day-to-day work, what SDG(s) are you helping to implement? 
My daily work helps to implement the SDG 5 on gender equality which is indeed at the core of UN Women’s mandate! The work on gender parity and organizational culture also relates to SDG 8 which is about decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities.
 

What is the most challenging project that you have worked on/are working on? 
I think that working through the global pandemic has been one of the most challenging periods professionally so far. When the pandemic started, working from home and virtually suddenly became the new reality. I will always remain grateful for the flexibility and care that the organization and my manager provided during that time. One of my major projects during the pandemic was the development of the Field-specific Enabling Environment Guidelines. The Guidelines reflect the Secretary-General’s priority and system-wide feedback about the need for more field-specific guidance and good examples on how to advance gender parity and create inclusive working environments in the field. Because of the COVID-19 crisis, the project had to of course be conducted fully online. It was an intense summer 2020 as the Team conducted virtual interviews with nearly 200 colleagues in over 50 countries where the UN operates from large peacekeeping operations to small country offices. I will always remember the Guidelines as an achievement and a great team effort from the times of lockdown!

What has been the most rewarding experience to date for you at your duty station? (work and/or non-work related)
The most rewarding experience has been to advance the Secretary-General’s priority at the UN system level and see the concrete results and impact of the work that I have contributed to. My Office leads and coordinates the network of over 400 Gender Focal Points across the entire UN system. We provide expert guidance and regular capacity building for the network. For instance, the Team organizes the Annual Global Gender Focal Point Meeting to bring the network together and support the Focal Points in their ongoing work to enhance gender parity and enabling working environments in their respective entities. It is an exciting event where Focal Points share good practices, exchange, identify synergies and find solutions together - inter-agency collaboration at its best! 

What set of skills have you developed most throughout your assignment?
The assignment has been a ‘master class’ on strategic thinking, advocacy, diplomacy and collaboration. I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from an incredible team and colleagues from all over the world. Working through the global pandemic also put a spotlight on flexibility, resilience as well as the importance of wellbeing as key ingredients of professional life

How do you feel your JPO assignment will influence your career choices/opportunities within the UN?
The JPO programme is a unique gateway to an international career. I have learnt tremendously, and the assignment provided me with a bird’s-eye view to the UN system and a network that will certainly shape my future career path. The training budget has allowed skills development that would not have been possible elsewhere.

What piece of advice would you give to those who are considering applying to the JPO Programme?
Be flexible yet determined and keep focus on concrete solutions and impact.