Public Policy Intern (Spring 2026)

Tahirih’s public policy team is seeking a passionate, engaged, and energetic individual to amplify our public policy team’s capacity. Public policy advocacy is an integral and fast-growing element of Tahirih’s mission, locally and nationally, as we work to transform the policies and practices that directly impact the women and girls that Tahirih serves.

Tahirih’s campaign to end child marriage in America is rapidly building momentum. Tahirih spearheaded the passage of a groundbreaking new law that made Virginia in 2016 the first state in the nation to limit marriage to legal adults .Since then, Tahirih has driven and advised on legislative reform efforts nationwide, and 36 states have enacted new laws. Our efforts include not only pressing to change the state laws that allow child marriage, but also raising awareness among the public and policymakers about the overlap between forced and child marriage and about the risks and harms of marrying young, even if by choice. Visit tahirih.org/childmarriagepolicy to learn more. Tahirih’s local offices in Houston, Atlanta, the SF Bay Area, and the Greater DC-Baltimore region all engage in state level legislative advocacy as well to shape the public policies that impact our clients and other immigrant survivors. This work is coordinated by the Public Policy Team sited in our Greater DC Office.

This is a hybrid position, but candidates must be able to work some days from our Falls Church, VA office.

Responsibilities

The Public Policy Intern would support the work of the campaign to end child marriage, as well as state-level policy initiatives pursued by our local offices in support of immigrant survivor safety and justice. The intern will also provide support to policy staff working on the development of legal and policy proposals at the state and federal level to prevent forced marriage with communication to external audiences about our advocacy and its impacts. The 2026 Spring Intern will monitor and report on developments across multiple states during their legislative sessions, monitor media for developments in the field of forced and child marriage advocacy and survivor support, and will support updating and creating content for the Forced Marriage Initiative’s website and newsletter.
 

Additional responsibilities may include research and memo-writing, preparing drafts of general and state-specific backgrounders, developing talking points for media interviews or updating policy slides for presentations, and assisting with outreach to legislators and mobilization of coalition allies. The exact nature of the work that the intern would perform, and the level of responsibility the intern would be given, will reflect the team’s shifting needs based on changing legislative activity, as well as the level of education and experience of the intern.

• Comfort with independent and self-driven work, within a supportive team dynamic.
• High school diploma or equivalent. Enrollment in a relevant undergraduate or graduate program is preferred, but not required.
• Cultural humility, and a strong commitment to equity.
• Basic understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence, sexual violence, or other forms of gender-based violence.
• Comfort in a collaborative, consultative environment and with nonpartisan policy work.
• Excellent research and analytical skills, and a sharp attention to detail.
• Resilience, and experience managing vicarious trauma through self-care.
• The ability to work independently, paired with the discernment to seek further guidance as      needed.
• Familiarity with the legislative process preferred, but not required.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Suite, Wordpress, and/or Canva preferred, but not required. 

Submissions: Please include a cover letter, resume, and a list of three references. 

Please note: Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States for any employer.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Tahirih Justice Center is committed to equal opportunity and promotes equity and transparency as core values. Tahirih practices inclusiveness in decision making through the use of consultation with employees throughout the organization. Tahirih does not discriminate against any person on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, ability, gender, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, arrest record or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. Applicants committed to equity from all backgrounds, experiences, abilities and identities are encouraged to apply. Applicants with questions or concerns should reach out to the Director of People & Operations at HR@tahirih.org.  Information about filing a charge of discrimination at the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov.