Meet our UNESCO Senior

Women Professionals!
 Emelin
Emeline Mbonyingingo is the Chief of Unit, Risk and Policy in the Administration e

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and Management Sector at UNESCO HQ in Paris since 2019.

onyingin
Tell us a little about your professional background and why you
chose to work for UNESCO?

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I joined the Organization in 2000, starting my career at Headquarters in the areas of accounting and budget.
In 2006, I initiated Administrative Officer (AO) functions in the Administration Sector.

I had sought to build experiences in the field, so when an opportunity in Brazil came, I did not hesitate and
seized it. In 2012, I was reassigned to the Brasilia Office as Administrative Officer. Then in 2019, through the
last geographical mobility exercise, I moved back to the Headquarters as the Chief of Risk, Compliance and
Policy Coordination Unit.
 What motivated you to step into a senior role in this Organization?

When I joined the UNESCO Office in Brasilia, I had to learn new functions of AO’s job I was not familiar with at
HQ, such as security and management of premises. It is also a dynamic office where decisions need to be
taken very quickly, including some decisions that could impact the financial sustainability of the office.
Managing a much larger team was both an opportunity and a challenge, as more complex and difficult
decisions enabled me to develop relevant leadership skills.

Working more closely with the government and other UN agencies also created specific challenges at
times. In general, the opportunities largely outweighed the challenges above. First and foremost, I
expanded my professional experience and skills and was able to develop a more complete profile. This gave
me more confidence to look into more senior positions.
 What is your advice to women aiming for the top?

I would recommend to colleagues to be open-minded and consider various options.

If possible, try to explore even a post that is out of your comfort zone as you would normally be given several
choices. You may have some nice surprises by opening up your possibilities.

Among other opportunities, the mobility exercise can facilitate your career development, as it increases
opportunities compared to the regular recruitment process which is much more competitive.

I advise to exchange with the colleagues in your future office to get to know the environment to facilitate a
smooth installation.
Back to the summary
 Sour
ia
Souria Saad-Zoi is the Chief of the Youth Section, in the Social and Human

Sa
Sciences at UNESCO HQ in Paris since December 2021.

ad-Zoi
Before joining UNESCO in 2005 at the Cluster Office in Rabat, Morocco, she
had worked with various organizations, including the OHCHR, the UNHCR, and
the Canadian Ministry of Justice.

From 2012-2019, she worked in the Youth Section at HQ in Paris, leading flagship initiatives like
NET-MED Youth and the PVE through youth empowerment. In 2019, she was transferred to the
Cabinet of the Director-General as an advisor for the Social and Human Sciences Sector as well as
for Artificial Intelligence.
 Tell us a little about your professional background and why you chose to work for UNESCO?

I studied law and international law in France and Canada, and I am a lawyer in Canada. Before joining UNESCO, I
worked with the OHCHR in Rwanda on human rights and the UNHCR in Egypt for the rights of refugees. I also had
the opportunity to work in a Canadian ministry.

Convinced by its broad and interdisciplinary mandate, I joined UNESCO in 2005, fulfilling a life-long dream (my
father had been a subscriber to the UNESCO Courrier since the 1970s). Within the organization, I worked until 2011
at the UNESCO cluster Office in Rabat to lead the SHS programme, whose priorities included human rights, gender,
youth, social transformations, and philosophy.

I then moved to UNESCO HQ in Paris, in the Youth Section within the Social and Human Sciences Sector.
My main focus was the Youth Agenda, including leading flagship initiatives like NET-MED Youth and the “Prevention
of Violent Extremism through Youth Empowerment”. From 2019 to 2021, I worked in the Cabinet of the Director-
General as an advisor for social and human sciences, artificial intelligence, and debates of ideas. In December
2021, I was recruited as the Chief of the Youth Section, in the Social and Human Sciences Sector.
 What motivated you to step into a senior role in this Organization?

Throughout my career, I have had growing responsibilities in the youth field, and in managing, planning,
implementing, and evaluating programmes and projects. I have always been looking for more responsibilities and
challenges that would allow me to perform at my utmost capacity and to use the skills, experiences, and expertise
that I have accumulated over the years.

I thought that holding a more senior position would allow me to play a significant role in the design and
implementation of ambitious and impactful programmes, which would also mean more freedom to instill new ideas.

I am motivated by new professional challenges. This led me to seize several opportunities and to explore a variety
of experiences, whether in the field, with other UN agencies than UNESCO, or at the national level with a ministry
for instance. Getting out of my comfort zone is essential to be creative and innovative.

I have always been interested in managing teams in a multicultural environment, in a spirit of team collaboration,
with a view to inspiring and encouraging change by engaging with colleagues at all levels through shared goals.
 What do you think are the most important skills for an international career?

Professionalism, integrity and dedication to the cause of the United Nations are key, together with the desire to make a
difference in an international and multicultural environment. It is also important to develop a diverse set of skills and
experiences, from project planning and fundraising to idea development and communication. Technical expertise,
adaptability, and leadership skills are equally essential. A broad diplomatic experience, through the engagement in
complex negotiations around various issues with high-level governmental authorities, NGOs and other counterparts, is
an asset.

What is your advice to women aiming for the top?

Diversify your experiences as much as possible, outside and inside the UN system, and especially in the field.
Be ambitious and set your career goals. Speak up about the challenges you face and promote positive change whenever
possible. Develop new skills and qualifications, and deepen your expertise, which will allow you to apply for new positions
with greater responsibilities. Do not hesitate to seize new opportunities or take on difficult challenges to demonstrate
what you are capable of. Build your own network of professionals you can count on throughout your career and identify
mentors who can support your career goals. Back to the summary
 Mis
Misako Ito is a specialist of information and communication with 18 years of

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o Ito
experience working in the UN and development organizations in Africa, Europe,
Arab States and Asia. At UNESCO Office in Nairobi, she manages UNESCO’s
Communication and Information programme for Africa.

Prior to joining Nairobi, she worked at UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok

where she also led the UNESCO Memory of the World programme in Asia and the Pacific.
During the post-Arab Spring period, she advised the Government of Morocco for the reform of the
media sector, the legislation on freedom of information and the participation of women and youth
in public policies.
Misako is Japanese and she is an engineer in information technology graduated from HEC School
of Management and Mines ParisTech in France. Before joining UNESCO, she worked for the
French Development Agency and the Institute of Research for Development in Western and
Central Africa
 Tell us a little about your professional background and why you chose to work for UNESCO?

I am an engineer in computer science, grown-up in Japan, France, Morocco and Africa (Senegal, Madagascar, Guinea).
I am on my 18th year of career at UNESCO, and I feel so privileged to work for this Organization which provides an
incredibly supporting environment for women to progress in career while at the same time enabling family life. UNESCO
is the house of excellence for diversity and embodies diversity in all its forms, including gender equality which is applied
not only on paper but in the Organization culture and practices. As a professional, a woman, a mother, I am so grateful
to work for UNESCO.

What motivated you to step into a senior role in this Organization?

I don’t feel that I step up in a senior role in the Organization but rather have continued in my job I am passionate about
and followed the natural career path and opportunities that the Organization has been offering. But I strongly believe
that diversity, including gender diversity, is positive and important for performance. More diversity at the senior level,
including gender diversity, brings more positive changes with different sets of skills and perspectives that will become
available and will help to increase creativit
 What do you think are the most important skills for an international career?

I think languages are the most important skills for an international career. Speaking several languages not only help you
connect with different communities and people in the world but also give you different perspectives and visions of the
world. When you speak another language, you also think in a different way. You identify things for which there are only
words in this language, you create new cognitive connections, and you perceive the world differently. This capacity to
develop new perspectives and visions is in my view the most important aspect when you pursue an international career,
as you move, you settle-in and you connect with another culture throughout your career.

What is the main challenge for a woman seeking an international career?

Balancing work and family has never been easy, both for men and women, working mums and dads, but specially for
women pursuing international career. Having a supporting partner who is willing to follow you in different duty stations is
not granted at all to all career women. When you apply for a new job in a new duty station, you have to make sure that your
partner will have an occupation or be able to find a job there, and this has always been the most challenging aspect for
women pursuing international career.
 What is your advice to women aiming for the top?

I do not think aiming for the top should be the goal in the life. Being at the top does not make us happier or
your life more fulfilling unless you really love your job and what you are doing.

My advice to all, and in particular to women, would be to be free to choose whatever path we want in career,
on whatever timeline, that we are allowed to take a break, return to work but also change our paths.

I hope that we can all accept today the idea that women are free, and can be at the top or the bottom,
married or divorced, single mother or childless, and that a successful woman can be all of these.

Back to the summary

 Susan
S

ch
Susan Schneegans is Communication Officer in the Natural Sciences Sector.

neegans
She has been Editor in Chief of the UNESCO Science Report series since 2004,
after joining the Natural Sciences Sector as deputy editor in 1998.

She founded UNESCO’s quarterly magazine, A World of Science, in 2002 and served as project
manager and editor until the magazine was discontinued in 2013

She holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Auckland in New Zealand.
 Tell us a little about your professional background and why you chose to work for UNESCO?

Like many young people, I was idealistic. Eager to work on international development issues, I felt particularly
drawn to UNESCO’s mandate on account of my training in language and literature and my interest in science.
Since I was a keen writer, the role of science editor seemed a good fit. As Editor in Chief of the UNESCO Science
Report, I have sought to take science governance out of its ‘ivory tower’ by demonstrating how tightly its evolution
is interwoven with evolving political, socio-economic and environmental factors.
This has allowed for a smooth transition to monitoring the role of science governance in advancing the Sustainable
Development Goals. I appreciate the space that UNESCO has given me to express my creativity.
I was given the opportunity to design and produce UNESCO’s quarterly magazine, A World of Science (Planète
Science), for example, which allowed me to explore my interest in science popularization.
The magazine gave me an opportunity to develop stories with colleagues to give their work the visibility it
deserved. Now that I am responsible for coordinating communication within the Natural Sciences Sector, I have
been able to revive this close working relationship with colleagues.
 What motivated you to step into a senior role in this Organization?
I learned a lot about science communication from my experience of producing the UNESCO Science Report and A World of
Science. You cannot be a good science communicator if you are not scientifically literate. You need a grasp of the issues
about which you are writing, be it in relation to climate change, science policy design and implementation or the value of
hands-on learning in science. After more than 20 years of communicating through these flagship publications, I felt that I had
a lot to offer in terms of accumulated skills, knowledge and experience. That is why I stepped up when this senior role
became available.

What do you think are the most important skills for an international career?
An international civil servant should be capable of showing initiative and proposing new ideas, as it is important to renew the
offer of services as new global and regional challenges emerge. At the same time, an international civil servant should be a
team player. Colleagues need to be able to work together to enhance programmatic synergies and avoid overlap, in the
interests of efficiency and efficacy. I learned from my time producing A World of Science, which reported on science-related
programmes Housewide (e.g. science education, the ethics of nanotechnology, underwater cultural heritage), that much of
the work that we do is complementarity and that, taken together, even modest initiatives can amplify one another and
provide a rounded picture of UNESCO’s multipronged approach to tackling development challenges.
 What is the main challenge for a woman seeking an international career?
A woman seeking an international career must be prepared to live in different countries and parts of the world. This
is often a prerequisite for career advancement in the United Nations. In addition to the need to learn a new
language and adapt to a new culture – and possibly to a tense security situation –, mobility can pose a challenge for
the woman’s partner, who will often have a career of their own.

What is your advice to women aiming for the top?

Numerous studies have shown that women tend to underestimate their abilities, whereas men overestimate them.
My advice to women aiming for the top is to have confidence in their abilities. If a person is self-confident, they will
be more self-assured and better able to accept praise – and constructive criticism. I would also advise women to do
what they enjoy. The fact that I enjoy what I do has added to my motivation and productivity.
I would also advise a woman aiming for the top to ensure a healthy balance between her work and her private life.
When someone has made great sacrifices to earn their way to the top, this can be reflected in their management
style. Back to the summary
 Eun
Currently a Programme Planning Officer in the Bureau of Strategic Planning (BSP), Ms.
ic

eS
Eunice Smith has served as the UNESCO Beijing Office Programme Specialist for Social

mith
and Human Sciences, 2011-2018, with a concurrent role as Officer-in-Charge of the
UNESCO Beijing Cluster Office covering China, Mongolia, Japan, and North and South
Korea in 2015.
Prior to moving to Beijing, she was Chief of the UNESCO Antenna Office in the Republic of
South Sudan (2008-2011), and before that was based at UNESCO’s Headquarters in Paris, France.

With over 24 years of experience as an International Civil Servant, Ms. Smith has worked on a variety of development
programs focused on promoting the human rights and social inclusion of vulnerable population groups, poverty
eradication, and post conflict recovery and reconstruction; she has contributed to policy formulation, supported
development research, and institutional capacity building including in China, Mongolia, Palestine, South Sudan, and the
Great Lakes region in Africa.

In her current position within the BSP, she coordinates the UNESCO Category 2 partnership modality, supports reporting
to UNESCO’s governing bodies, and monitors programme implementation. Ms. Smith started her professional career as
a destination Marketing Officer with the Grenada Board of Tourism in New York, USA, and holds Masters’ Degrees in
Tourism Management, Law, and International Development; speaks English and French; and is from Grenada in the
Caribbean.
 Tell us a little about your professional background and why you chose to work for UNESCO?

Prior to joining UNESCO as a Young Professional, I worked for four years in the tourism industry in New York, USA as a
destination Marketing Officer.

This was my first professional international experience, which helped to build my talents for working with persons of
different cultures, socio-economic interests and political persuasions towards a common goal. Since joining UNESCO, I
have had the opportunity to work in programme planning and management and in field office management, in post-
conflict, developing and developed country contexts from bases in Europe, Africa and Asia, advancing from P1 to P4 in
ten years.

While my entry into UNESCO was a “spur of the moment” choice, my decision to stay was due to the availability of a
range of learning and growth experiences at the international level, the multi-cultural working environment of UNESCO,
but most importantly, I chose to stay because of the high level of job satisfaction I received from being able to make a
positive contribution to the lives of persons living in post conflict and developing country contexts.
 What motivated you to step into a senior role in this Organization?
My motivation to step into senior roles at work is driven by my personality traits – my desire for and willingness to accept
increased responsibility, my ability to get things done and deliver results that lead to positive change.
This assumption of “senior” roles began in childhood – as the first child in the family, the school head-girl, the class
valedictorian, and so on – which afforded platforms for informal learning and drove me to assume even more challenging
subsequent roles. This motivation applies not only at work in UNESCO, but also in my life outside the office where I provide
leadership and coordination services in civil society organizations.

What do you think are the most important skills for an international career?
Apart from technical knowledge, being open to change, having some cultural sensitivity, being accepting of different
perspectives and ways of achieving desired results are some important skills that have helped me navigate in an international
work environment. I have also found that applying concepts such as life-long learning and retooling to my personal
circumstances to be extremely useful for adaptation to a changing work environment, and for increasing my performance.
Language skills are also important. Although not skills per se, being a conscientious person, knowledgeable of my
capabilities, and being self-confident facilitated my effective handling of difficult personnel conflicts and sensitive political
matters in my work. It also has permitted me to speak truth to power, in a respectful and diplomatic manner.
Finally, being pleasant and having a sense of humor does not hurt.
 What is the main challenge for a woman seeking an international career?

Many women experience intimidation and barriers in the workplace.

I have heard stories of qualified competent women not being taken seriously at work by both male and female
colleagues; not having their contributions acknowledged; being overlooked for important assignments and
advancement opportunities. Women with children also face additional challenges, especially when there is illness or a
need for extra care in the household. There is no one challenge. Personally, I have not had some of these challenges and
do not feel that my gender has been of a dis-service – perhaps this is my self-confidence speaking.

However, as a “woman of color” I do feel that I have had to face challenges which are more linked to race and nationality
than gender. Like all women, not only have I had to repeatedly prove that I am capable, but as a woman of color from the
developing world, I have had to go the extra mile to show that my knowledge, skills and experiences are equivalent to or
better than average. Further, the lack of mentors and role models available who can identify with the experiences of
other women of color, including in UNESCO, leads to a sort of isolation and makes it more challenging to advance in an
international career.
 What is your advice to women aiming for the top?

Stick to your dreams and aspirations. Create networks and partner with persons who support you but who
will also point out when you are not on track. For example, members of my Young Professional intake group
have been a great network and source of support.

My mentor for many years was a black, male ADG from a different geographical group in UNESCO. The way
to the top is not a straight line nor is it even a linear process. There are many deviations.

Try to use the lessons learned from these deviations as well as lifelong learning to enrich your journey and
competencies for enhanced performance and greater responsibility. Being able to help others has been
one of the most rewarding experiences that I have had. My advice is to not be afraid of sharing, we all gain
when everyone is happy and working at full productive capacity Back to the summary