Inclusive Climate Finance for Vulnerable Communities in Asia-Pacific (ICCAP)

Based in Bangkok, SEI Asia has a diverse team of multinational experts who integrate scientific research with participatory approaches to co-develop and share knowledge, build partnerships, and influence policy for resilient development. SEI Asia’s work focuses on gender and social equity, climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, water insecurity and integrated water resources management, transitional agriculture, renewable energy and urbanization. 

SEI Asia is an affiliate of Chulalongkorn University (CU), Thailand. SEI and CU have an agreement to foster innovative scientific research combined with effective policy engagement on development and environmental challenges in Asia. The key areas of collaboration are intellectual engagement for joint research applications and fund mobilization, lectures and seminars for CU students, post-graduate supervision and examination, and CU–SEI employee links. 

The role

We seek a motivated, creative individual to join our team and support the Inclusive Climate Finance for Vulnerable Communities in Asia-Pacific (ICCAP) project under Work Package 5 (WP5).

The project focuses on improving and scaling up inclusive public and private climate adaptation finance flows to vulnerable groups and communities in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Fiji, Laos and Nepal. Our work involves developing inclusive finance solutions, supporting policymakers with evidence-based insights, assisting Financial Service Providers (FSPs) in creating tailored green financial products, establishing a Regional Adaptation Investment Facility, and developing solutions to address barriers to adaptation finance through Multistakeholder Action Labs (MALs).

The project emphasizes gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) throughout its activities and through WP5, to integrate an intersectional gender lens across all outcomes, outputs, work packages and project activities. The intern will assist us in co-design of a gender transformative pilot for inclusive finance, and help us to provide GESI capacity-development support to boundary partners.

Key duties and responsibilities

As an intern with the ICCAP project under WP5, you will have the opportunity to contribute towards capacity development, research, and practice on advancing GESI in inclusive climate finance. You will work with us in many various activities, and you will support:

• Literature review through an intersectional gender lens: Assist intersectional gender lens analysis of climate finance systems and stakeholders, channels, dynamics, enablers and barriers to inclusion.
• GESI integration into ICCAP project outputs and activities: Assist in co-design, implementation and analysis of GESI dimensions within policy assessments, engagements with FSPs and Financial Institutions (FIs), and through Multi-stakeholder Action Labs (MALs).
• Disaggregated data analysis: Help assist design sampling and analysis to disaggregate data sets on all project activities and impacts for the project.
• GESI capability development: Support GESI capability-development processes (training, participatory workshops and dialogues) with FIs, FSPs and project teams.

Additionally, you may contribute to other projects under the Gender, Environment and Justice Cluster as required.

Who you are

We are looking for an enthusiastic and proactive person with a passion for research and policy engagement in the fields of gender and social equality at the nexus of environment, development and sustainability.

Required qualifications and competencies: 

• 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 gender, environment and development linkages
• Fluent in English with excellent writing and presentation skills

Desirable competencies:

• Experience in supporting GESI-related capacity-development activities, such as the development of project gender action plans, gender strategies and peer-to-peer learning
• Experience in applying GESI in climate finance and adaptation contexts
• Knowledge of mixed-methods research methodologies
• Familiarity with critical social science frameworks (i.e. political ecology, feminist political ecology, intersectionality)
• Experience conducting literature reviews, evidence synthesis and stakeholder mapping
• Prior employment or internship experience in a relevant professional setting
• Candidates based in Bangkok are preferred. However, for a strong candidate, it may be possible to do the internship remotely if relocation to Thailand is not possible.

Personal skills required in the position:

• Enthusiastic and passionate about translating research to policy
• Collaborative and self-driven, working well both in teams and independently
• Committed to continuous learning
• Competent at working with project partners in diverse cultural and disciplinary contexts