IHEID Alumni Journeys 6: Caroline Masboungi, UNICEF

By Yejin Stella An, PDC Alumni Liaison Coordinator

The Graduate Press and the Professional Development Committee have teamed up to publish articles highlighting the professional and academic journeys of IHEID alumni working in different fields, sectors as well as different continents. Interviewed alumni will also share their experiences while studying at the Institute, including the activities and/or initiatives they participated in. We hope that, through these interviews, current students will get a better idea of the scope of work and possibilities that are open to them after completing their degree, whether it is an interdisciplinary Masters or a PhD.

Caroline Masboungi is a Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Specialist at UNICEF, based in Geneva. She leads UNICEF’s GBViE innovations and service delivery workstream at the global level. She manages intricate portfolios to include pivotal projects like “Laaha,” promoting a virtual safe space platform for girls and women leveraging advanced technologies to protect and empower women and girls to combat technology-facilitated GBV and bridge the gender digital gap. With over 14 years of comprehensive experience, Caroline’s work spans across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, focusing on GBV prevention, response, and fight against impunity of sexual violence. Prior to joining UNICEF, Caroline worked with organizations such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and OHCHR which reflects her holistic understanding of humanitarian response to GBV and her unwavering commitment to women and girls through innovative, gender-sensitive, and effective strategies, paving the way for GBV humanitarian innovation. She holds a Master’s degree in Humanitarian Law (LLM) from the Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID). 

Could you introduce your career path, starting with your experiences at IHEID? What made you enter this field and/or sectors?  

Before joining the Master’s programme at IHEID, I had a background in International Law. As a Lebanese who has experienced the challenges of living in a war-torn country, my passion for humanitarian law and international relations had deepened, fostering a profound commitment to humanitarian work and laws. And this led me to continue my study for a Master’s degree in Humanitarian Law (LLM) at IHEID. After graduation, I started working at different organizations to find my roles in this sector, starting from the field mission at the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Ethiopia.  

One of the greatest IHEID has offered me during my academic life is the connection with diversity. In my cohort, there were around 30 students with almost 20 different nationalities. Students from different backgrounds – from Africa to the Middle East and Asia – always brought amazing inputs and living experiences to the table, and it bolstered my practical understanding of humanitarian works. I feel what I have learned from the lived experience of those students is a priceless resource for my current work. 

What skills, knowledge, or attitudes have you developed in IHEID for your next career steps? 

Even before I joined the IHEID, I had a strong commitment to humanitarian work. However, I feel like I didn’t have enough knowledge about the legal mechanisms and dynamics surrounding humanitarian law. At IHEID, I was able to refine their understanding of humanitarian principles and integrate political dynamics into their knowledge base. Various courses provided them with insights into legal processes and mechanisms. Moreover, I understood about setting my positionality within legal and political frameworks to advocate effectively on humanitarian outcomes.

After completing their Master’s program, I went to Ethiopia for a mission with the High Commissioner for Human Rights where I encountered the reality of a critical lack of accountability to apply these legal frameworks and mechanisms, mostly in the space of women’s rights and prevention and response to gender-based violence (GBV). First, I was disempowered by the dissonance between theoretical knowledge and practical application on the ground. But still, having this foundation made me quite confident in my ability to discern right from wrong and effectively position myself in humanitarian advocacy. 

The feeling of frustration coming from the discrepancy between theories and practices is common for students in the early career stage. Do you have any advice for them to cope with? 

To be honest, even after working in this space for almost 20 years and in various contexts, I still struggle with this issue. We had seen the complete lack of accountability stemming from recent crises, notably in the Middle East. However, what turned the delusion into opportunity is my sense of activism, focusing on grassroots and community-based change, from which I believe tangible change starts.  

In my work, I don’t think there is anything I love more than to sit in a women’s center where health, social, legal protection, and prevention services are provided and where women and girls feel safe to come and support each other. It is the place where the story is rewritten, the positive change comes, and we can bring hope in their life.  

Have you participated in any internship or volunteer work before your first employment, particularly during your academic career at IHEID? How did IHEID contribute to it/them? 

When I was at the Institute, I did an internship at the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) to comprehensively understand how weapons legalization can minimize the negative impacts of warfare. Personally, this was a critical opportunity for me as I witnessed in Lebanon landmines and unexploded explosive ordnance in the daily lives of people. Also, seeing the advocacy efforts of the organization and creating a coalition to fight against landmine issues has been a useful experience for my current work for GBV and conflict-related sexual violence. 

During my course, I truly enjoyed the mock session of the Human Rights Council. During the exercise, I could see a lot about how those mechanisms work in practice. Indeed, it greatly helped me during my work at OHCHR Ethiopia, particularly in how to read and write the report and apply it to practice and train local activist organizations to do so. I heard that now the Institute provides various supports, including professional networking events and career services, so it will be helpful for students to actively take advantage of them.  

What skills and attitudes are most important to work as a GBV specialist and/or at UNICEF? Do you have any suggestions for the students interested in working with the UN in terms of a CV, cover letter, or tips on what the recruiters are looking for?

To be a specialist in GBV, particularly in humanitarian settings, I think it is crucial to possess a deep-seated sense of commitment– like a constant willingness to make a difference in the lives of women and girls. During my career, particularly in the UN, I was deployed to diverse contexts, including conflict zones and challenging contexts and witness highly distressing situations. In these moments, what kept me going was this unwavering drive and commitment to humanitarian principles, this vision of a better world shaped my desire to pursue my career as a GBV specialist.

I find working within UN agencies requires a high level of professionalism, because the process of implementing frameworks and principles, the core values of the organizations, is demanding. Also, you need to be very proactive in achieving tasks and meeting the agency’s goals. UN Volunteers (UNV) and Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programmes could be good ways as entry points. I also started my first UN position at OHCHR as a UNV. 

In conclusion, I want to stress the importance of self-reflection and authenticity. Continually ask yourself these questions: What are my fundamental values? How do I react in various situations? Am I still dedicated to making a difference? What steps do I need to take to advance my goals? Within the UN, it’s possible to lose sight of these overarching objectives and veer towards a career that’s more self-serving.

Overall, how did the IHEID contribute to your professional growth? Do you have any messages to share with IHEID students? 

As previously mentioned, my academic journey at the IHEID was an important piece of my career since it enhanced my knowledge and skills useful in my professional world, notably the actual evidence and framework necessary for the field. 

I want to tell the students to be bold; be bold enough to make the world what you believe it should be. Also, make the hard choice. Be the annoying person in the back of the room that raises their voice in accordance with humanitarian principles and commitment, so that people cannot sit comfortably witnessing injustice. 

My last message to students is to recognize their own influence and the power dynamics that exist around them. Our world is rich in diversity, encompassing a multitude of nationalities, backgrounds, and roles, each carrying its own form of power. It’s all too easy to overlook how this power can perpetuate oppression. Therefore, it’s crucial to be conscious of our power and exercise it responsibly, positioning ourselves to uplift those who are more marginalized. This awareness should extend into both academic and professional realms, ensuring that voices, especially those from the Global South particularly women, are heard and valued. By doing so, we contribute to creating a more equitable and just world. 

I advocate for academia to adopt a transformative role by establishing interactive environments that honor diversity across gender and race, ensuring that all students, particularly those with less power, have ample opportunities to engage, learn, and contribute on equal footing. Throughout my academic and professional journey, I’ve encountered numerous instances where I, or others, felt silenced, especially in spaces dominated by male students and professors. This can be incredibly disempowering. Yet, my extensive experience in the field of gender-based violence has reinforced my belief in the unparalleled equalizing force of education. Academia must take a courageous stand in weaving gender equality and anti-racism into the fabric of their programs—not merely as superficial measures for show but through meaningful, practical application in everyday academic life.

Photo provided by Caroline Masboungi