EMIKOGeneva
Married, Two children
D-1
I am Emiko. I am serving as a Director-D-1, step 4-in Geneva. I moved here from Bangkok two months ago with my husband and two sons. This is my fifth assignment and, over my 19 years with the United Nations, I have worked in Nairobi, Juba, and New York. Until now I have been paid at the dependency rate because of my first son, even though my husband has always worked outside of the United Nations. Under the new system, when my husband is able to work in Geneva with a "carte de légitimation", I will no longer be entitled to the spouse allowance. I consulted with human resources, and I was assured that this change would not immediately affect us thanks to the transitional allowance. After the five-year transitional period, I will end up with about $1,010 less per month, even though I will receive a child allowance for both of my sons. I was most concerned, however, about the changes in the education grant. My kids are attending the International School of Geneva (ISG) and, although fewer expenses are covered under the new scheme, many of the fees charged by the school are tuition related, which will continue to be covered. Luckily, the capital development fund fee charged by ISG per child will still be reimbursed by my organization
