Sample cover letter for Full Time position at IRC

Dear Director:

I am writing in application for the position of Program Manager for Women's Empowerment with the Tomorrow's Youth Organization as advertised on Idealist.

I have been a women's rights educator, organiser and advocate for more than a decade. My work in women's empowerment and entrepreneurship is rich, diverse and far-reaching. I have worked exclusively in the Middle East and Southwest Asia, and am just completing my PhD dissertation which examines the development of women's rights campaigns throughout the Middle East from 1979 until the present. Specifically, I look at women's empowerment in the education, economic and political sectors, concluding, as your own website affirms, that equity in the Middle East may come most meaningfully through economic and educational empowerment of women.

In my last post, I worked as Monitor and Evaluations Coordinator and Gender Rights Consultant with Internews Network - Afghanistan. In this position I provided strategic project leadership for all monitor and evaluations strategies and mechanism associated with Internews' $22-million-dollar Afghan Media Development and Empowerment Project (AMDEP). AMDEP was a USAID initiative aiming to develop a diverse, skilled and independent local media throughout Afghanistan.

As M&E Coordinator I managed a small team of researchers to design and implement a comprehensive information and communications needs assessment for the project, inclusive of an overall assessment of the local media infrastructure, current operational situation and identification of gaps and opportunities for improvement of this growing yet delicate sector. Our team devised a sustainable M&E strategy that ensured affective compliance with all legal and policy protocols for our over sixty media affiliates. We also developed a plan for providing timely and relevant information to project stakeholders in order for them to adjust where necessary during implementation of phase. This role also gave me invaluable experience in administrative, grant proposal, and data collection and collation development, which I hope to carry over in my next role.

My work in M&E dovetailed nicely with initiatives I co-lead and designed for implementation of gender mainstreaming protocols within our multimedia networks. Together with leading women journalist from across Afghanistan, we designed and implemented an ambitious project that focused primarily on women's empowerment through skill sharing, media training and formation of Afghanistan's inaugural Women's Journalist Association.

I am delighted to report that the project met many of its goals, and as of September 2014 the Association continues to represent Afghan women journalists covering women's specific issues and platforms as an associate member of the Afghan National Journalists Union. Moreover, a major report on our organising model and lessons learned from this project was commissioned and published by USAID in March 2012 entitled, "Gender Lessons Learned from Experiences Developing Independent Media in Afghanistan 2005-2012."

Since leaving Afghanistan, I have worked in a similar capacity for several social justice and development organisations keen on empowering women from the global south and/or historically disenfranchised communities through education and entrepreneurial initiatives. I currently work as an Adjunct Lecturer in the Near and Middle East Studies Department, Trinity College Dublin where I teach various courses and run workshops on topics including women's movements and activism in the Middle East and North Africa; immigration and integration for women of colour in Europe; human rights in theory and practice; and women and micro-finance in the developing world, amongst others.

In addition to my Ph.D., I hold an M.PHIL in International Peace Studies from Trinity College Dublin, a M.A. in Religious Studies (Islam) from the University of Pennsylvania, and a B.A. in Modern Middle East Studies also from UPenn. For a more detailed description of my work experience and credentials please see my attached resume.

Tomorrow's Youth wishes to empower disadvantaged communities in the Middle East through innovative educational and training opportunities that will cultivate sustainable economic growth and community development. I would like the opportunity to contribute my skills and expertise to your inspiring organisation, and to the lives of women leaders and entrepreneurs across Palestine. I believe I have much to learn from these women whose life experience has taught wisdom, dignity, resilience, and creativity. I sincerely believe a spirited synergy can spark through collaborative, internationalist initiatives like the Women's Empowerment Program with Tomorrow's Youth and I very much look forward to speaking to you further about this role and your organization.

Kind Regards,

Farah Mokhtareizadeh