Human Rights Watch (HRW) is seeking an intern for its Stockholm office in Sweden, assisting mainly the Advocacy Department but also the Development & Outreach Department. The internship is full-time at 35 hours per week, runs for 20 weeks from mid-January 2027, is unpaid, and applications close on 25 October 2026. At Youth Works Hub, we read the full call and gathered every task, requirement and condition in one place below.
The Stockholm Internship in Brief
📌 Position: Advocacy Department and Development & Outreach Department Intern
🏛️ Organization: Human Rights Watch (HRW)
🧩 Departments: Advocacy Department (main focus) and Development & Outreach Department
📍 Location: Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden
🏢 Office: Norrsken House, central Stockholm
🕒 Working time: Full-time, 35 hours per week
📆 Duration: 20 weeks
🚀 Start: Mid-January 2027
💼 Compensation: Unpaid
🎓 Status required: Enrolled university student for the full duration of the internship
🗣️ Languages: Swedish and English
📄 Application documents: CV and letter of interest
⏳ Deadline: 25 October 2026
Two Departments Under One Placement
This is a single internship covering two departments at the Stockholm office. The intern assists mainly the Advocacy Department, but also the Development & Outreach Department. The listed tasks reflect that split: part of the work supports advocacy, and part of it supports fundraising, communications and events.
Who This Internship Suits: A Country Office Inside a Global Organization
The call is explicit about who this internship suits: those who are interested in developing their experience within a global human rights organization, within a national country office. As an intern you have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of activities related to human rights and to learn how the organization operates through communication, advocacy, fundraising, outreach and events.
Where You Would Work: Norrsken House in Central Stockholm
🏢 HRW's Stockholm team sits at Norrsken House, located in central Stockholm
🚇 The placement is based at that office, in Stockholms län, Sweden
Lectures, Trainings and the HRW Intern Network
HRW interns have unique opportunities beyond their daily tasks:
🎤 Lectures
🧠 Trainings
📈 Professional development workshops
🎟️ Special events relating to human rights
🤝 Networking with other HRW interns, volunteers and employees
As an HRW intern, you will be able to use the skills and knowledge you have acquired during your studies and apply them in a professional environment.
Responsibilities: Tasks Shaped Around the Selected Intern
Specific tasks may vary based on the interest and abilities of the selected intern. The call lists six main tasks and states clearly that they are not limited to that list, so the final mix depends partly on what you bring and what you want to learn.
Monitoring Global Developments for HRW's Advocacy Work
🌐 Monitoring global developments
🗂️ Assisting in preparing relevant materials to support HRW's advocacy work
Planning, Organizing and Evaluating Events
🗓️ Contributing in planning events
🧩 Organizing events
📊 Evaluating events
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🌍 All opportunities in Sweden →
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Briefings With Decision-Makers and Key Stakeholders
🏛️ Participating in briefings with decision-makers and other key stakeholders
Supporting the Fundraising Team
💡 Supporting the fundraising team by researching potential sources of income
🏦 Those sources include foundations and corporate partners
Spreading HRW's Research and Recommendations
📨 Assisting in spreading HRW's research and recommendations by creating targeted communications
🎯 The audiences are both decision-makers and the general public
Content for HRW Sweden's Digital Channels
📱 Participating in developing content for HRW Sweden's digital channels
💬 Social media
📰 Newsletters
🖥️ The website
Qualifications: Apply Even If You Do Not Fit the Profile
Before listing any requirement, HRW writes that candidates are encouraged to apply, even if you do not fit the suggested background. Enrolled student status is a stated condition, while the rest of the profile below is described as preferred, desirable or valuable.
The Student Requirement in Sweden
🎓 Interns in Sweden must be enrolled students for the duration of their internship term
📅 Because the internship runs 20 weeks from mid-January 2027, your enrolment needs to cover that whole period
🏫 The call repeats the same condition in its opening paragraph: interns must be enrolled university students for the full duration of the internship
Academic Background: Preferred, Not Mandatory
📚 Coursework in a relevant area is preferred, such as:
🗞️ Communications
🎬 Media
🏛️ Political science
⚖️ Law
🛡️ Human rights
HRW adds that it is open to other profiles as well, so a different field of study does not rule you out.
The Working Style HRW Is Looking For
🧭 Well-organized
🎨 Creative
🔍 Curious
🤸 Flexible
🔬 Detail-oriented
⏱️ Excellent time management skills
🌱 A willingness to learn
👥 Experience with collaborating within a team is desirable
Writing and Language: Swedish and English Together
✍️ The ideal candidate enjoys writing
🗣️ They have a good ability to express themselves in written and oral communication in both Swedish and English
🌟 They show a demonstrated interest in human rights, communication, social media and/or fundraising
Software Skills
💻 Good knowledge of MS Office programs, specifically Word and Excel, is described as highly valuable
An Unpaid, Full-Time Internship of 20 Weeks
💼 The internship is unpaid
🕒 It is full-time at 35 hours per week
📆 It lasts 20 weeks, beginning in mid-January 2027
💳 The call lists no stipend, allowance or reimbursement
How to Apply
📄 Apply through HRW's online job portal
📑 Attach a CV and a letter of interest
🗣️ Your application can be written in English or Swedish
🚫 No calls or email inquiries, please
✅ Only complete applications will be reviewed
📬 Due to the large number of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted further
⚡ HRW asks candidates to apply immediately
If You Hit a Technical Problem With the Form
🛠️ HRW gives a dedicated email address for technical difficulties with your application submission only
📭 Application submissions via email will not be accepted
🤐 Inquiries regarding the status of applications will go unanswered
The address is in the Links section at the end of this page.
Diversity and Equal Opportunity at Human Rights Watch
🤝 Human Rights Watch is strong because it is diverse. The organization actively seeks a diverse applicant pool and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply
⚖️ HRW does not discriminate on the basis of disability, age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or criminal record
🌍 We welcome all kinds of diversity, the call states
🏡 Its employees include people who are parents and nonparents, the self-taught and university educated, and people from a wide span of socio-economic backgrounds and perspectives on the world
📜 Human Rights Watch is an equal opportunity employer
About Human Rights Watch
🔎 Human Rights Watch is an international human rights organization that monitors and advocates
📚 It is known for its in-depth investigations
🗞️ Its incisive and timely reporting
📣 Its innovative and high-profile advocacy campaigns
🏛️ Its success in changing the human rights-related policies and practices of influential governments and international institutions
Is This Internship a Good Fit for You?
According to Youth Works Hub's review of the call, the placement fits a student who matches all five points below:
🎓 You are an enrolled university student and will stay enrolled through 20 weeks from mid-January 2027
🏙️ You can work full-time, 35 hours a week, in central Stockholm
🔤 You can write and speak both Swedish and English comfortably
🔀 You are interested in a mix of advocacy, fundraising, communications and events rather than one narrow task
🧾 You can cover your own costs during an unpaid placement
If you are comparing this placement with other routes, our guide on how internships abroad for students actually work sets out the difference between an employer-paid placement and a funded traineeship. You can browse more internship and traineeship openings on Youth Works Hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the HRW Stockholm intern actually do?
The intern assists mainly the Advocacy Department and also the Development & Outreach Department. Tasks include monitoring global developments and preparing advocacy materials, planning and evaluating events, joining briefings with decision-makers, researching foundations and corporate partners for the fundraising team, creating targeted communications, and producing content for HRW Sweden's social media, newsletters and website.
Is the Human Rights Watch internship in Stockholm paid?
No. The internship is unpaid. It is full-time at 35 hours per week for 20 weeks, so applicants need to arrange their own living costs in Stockholm for that period.
How long is the internship and when does it start?
The internship lasts 20 weeks and starts in mid-January 2027. It is a full-time placement of 35 hours per week.
Do I have to be a student to apply?
Yes. Interns in Sweden must be enrolled students for the duration of their internship term, which means your university enrolment has to cover the full 20 weeks.
Which field of study does HRW want?
Coursework in a relevant area such as communications, media, political science, law or human rights is preferred, but HRW states that it is open to other profiles as well. Candidates are encouraged to apply even if they do not fit the suggested background.
Do I need to speak Swedish?
The ideal candidate has a good ability to express themselves in written and oral communication in both Swedish and English. The tasks include producing content for HRW Sweden's digital channels, including social media, newsletters and the website.
Who is eligible to apply by nationality?
The call sets no nationality requirement. The stated condition is that interns in Sweden must be enrolled students for the duration of their internship term, alongside the background and language profile described above.
What documents do I need to submit?
A CV and a letter of interest, attached through HRW's online job portal. The application itself can be written in either English or Swedish.
Can I apply or follow up by email?
No. HRW states that application submissions via email will not be accepted and that inquiries about application status will go unanswered. The email address given in the call is only for technical difficulties with the submission itself.
Where is the internship based?
At HRW's Stockholm office in Norrsken House, in central Stockholm, Sweden.
What happens after I apply?
Only complete applications will be reviewed, and because of the large number of applications only shortlisted candidates will be contacted further.
Deadline
⏳ 25 October 2026
Links
🔗 Application (Advocacy Department and Development & Outreach Department Intern): https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/humanrightswatch/jobs/8873607002
🌐 Human Rights Watch online job portal: https://careers.hrw.org
🛠️ Technical difficulties with your application submission only: internships@hrw.org
