Background:
UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.
UN Womenโs Country Office, based in New Delhi, India, works to accelerate the advancement of gender equality and the empowerment of women through the strengthening of strategic partnerships, technical and policy advisory services and advocacy with governmental, inter-governmental and civil society partners.ย In addition, UN Women CO is also leading and coordinating the UN systemโs work on gender equality, including through ensuring accountability for results.
Numerous challenges have impeded the growth of women's entrepreneurship in India, perpetuating their economic marginalization for decades. Traditional mindsets, gender biases, limited economic opportunities, and a lack of capital and resources have all contributed to their struggles. Despite these obstacles, there is an increasingly acknowledged importance in promoting women as entrepreneurs, recognizing their potential to significantly contribute to empowerment and well-being.ย
Handicrafts have traditionally offered an alternative source of employment in rural India, alongside agriculture, particularly for women. Among these crafts, textiles and hand-block printing have stood out as enduring traditions, with roots dating back to the 12th century. The intricate process of block printing involves transferring designs from handcrafted wooden blocks onto fabric, each piece carrying a unique story and cultural heritage.ย
Various regions across India have developed their distinctive styles within hand block printing, reflecting their rich cultural diversity. For instance, Rajasthan is renowned for its vibrant Dabu, Sanganeri, and Bagru prints, featuring an array of floral, geometric, and animal motifs. Gujarat boasts intricate Ajrakh prints in indigo blue, red, black, and white, while Madhya Pradesh showcases the intricate Bagh prints inspired by nature and local folk art. Uttar Pradesh is celebrated for its stylized Pilakuan and Farukhabad prints, while Andhra Pradesh's Kalamkari art unfolds stories of epic tales like the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
UN Womenย initiated a project, Women Artisans of Change (WeACe) to empower women artisans engaged in block printing by fostering collaboration with design students, enhancing traditional practices, and providing market access. The project will collaborate with design schools to train students in eco-friendly block printing techniques. These students will then mentor women artisans, imparting skills in sustainable production methods, new designs, and entrepreneurial development. Introduce eco-friendly techniques of block printing that require less water and utilize natural organic dyes and sustainable fabrics. Promote environmentally responsible textile production to reduce ecological impact and ensure socially responsible manufacturing. Showcase products developed through the project at a fashion show organized at the UN House or in partnership with existing fashion weeks. Leverage UN Women's networks to attract buyers from the EU and other countries, facilitating export linkages for women artisans. Partner with platforms like Amazon and the Government's ONDC to market and sell products, expanding market reach beyond traditional avenues. Collaborate with government agencies such as the Ministry of Export and Import, Ministry of Textiles, and Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises to provide access to existing government schemes and financial capital. Facilitate continued livelihood support and market opportunities for women artisans through strategic partnerships.ย
The purpose of this consultancy is to support the activities of WeACe project on a daily basis. Under the direct supervision of the Programme Analyst (WEE) the consultant will support UN Women to support in the management of programme activities and coordinate with relevant team members, including the operations team, implementing partner organisations and government officials, to ensure successful implementation of Programmes.
Provide technical support for the implementation of the WeACe program. Coordinate and work with the Ministry of Textiles and other nodal departments towards successful implementation of the program related to skilling, entrepreneurship and market linkagesย Coordinate on the programmatic implementation with relevant stakeholders, partner organizations and agencies in the state. Identify entrepreneurial and new market opportunities for women artisans and connect them to concerned schemes and financial institutions (wherever necessary). Mobilize companies and connects for expansion of entrepreneurial work of women artisans. Connect women artisans to relevant fairs and e-commerce platforms. Support in the convergence of the program with other relevant departments/schemes/ programmes. Facilitate systematic coordination between UN Women and the Ministry of Textiles. Prepare briefing notes and updates on the status of women artisans. Conduct assessment and monitoring of the programme. Support districts, where required, to prepare gender-responsive skill development plans and programs. Preparation of monthly performance reports.ย Prepare donor reports for the programme. Any other duties assigned by Supervisors from time to time.Expected Deliverables:
May
Developed a detailed note on relevant schemes and programs for women artisans. Developed a database of companies and fairs for market linkages of women artisans.June
Developed one leaflet and one power-point presentation on the WeACE project. Facilitated field visit of women artisans to Kutchโs clean water technology center. Facilitated one training workshop and prepared background notes, workshop material and report.July
Facilitated two training workshops and prepared background notes, workshop material and report. Facilitated one round-table with government and private sector on clean water technologies in the hand block printing sector.August
Facilitated roll out of the UN Women X NIFT fellowship. Facilitated one training workshop and prepared background notes, workshop material and report.September
Facilitated one training workshop and prepared background notes, workshop material and report. Facilitated onboarding of NIFTXUN Women fellows.October
Facilitated one training workshop and prepared background notes, workshop material and report. Developed photo stories on women artisans and allied workers from the textile sector for a social media campaign.November
Facilitated one training workshop and prepared background notes, workshop material and report. Facilitated a roundtable on women and water.December
Facilitated an advocacy seminar on status of women artisans with relevant background notes, report and material. Facilitated the fashion show with the new design created as part of the Fellowship.Competencies :
Core Values:
Integrity; Professionalism; Respect for Diversity.Core Competencies:
Please visitย this linkย for more information on UN Womenโs Values and Competencies Framework:ย
Functional Competencies:
Good programme management, monitoring and evaluation skills Ability to create, edit and present information in clear and presentable formats; Ability to manage data, documents, correspondence and reports information and workflow; Good knowledge of technical area Ability to identify and analyze trends and opportunities.Education:
Minimum bachelors degree in Social Sciences/Development Studies with at least 2 years of progressive experience in the area of Textile and/or working with government agencies;ย Degree in Management related field willย beย anย asset.Experience:
At least 2 years of experience in coordination and capacity building; Experience of working in the UN System is an asset; Experience of working with the Ministry/government department will be an advantage.Language Requirements:
Fluency in English and working knowledge of Hindi is required Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an assetInterested applicants should apply to this announcement through UN Women jobs site:ย
Careers at UN Women | UN Women โ Headquarters
UN Women will only be able to respond to those applications in which there is further interest.
Evaluation and Selection Criteria:
Criteria for shortlisting of CVs will be based on the following assessment:
Required Degree and Qualification. Minimum Experience relevant to the assignment. Working knowledge and experience of working with National/State Government.The evaluation process for selection of the candidate will be based on the following assessment:
Interview Writing SamplesPlease Note:
For an assignment requiring travel, consultants of 65 years or more require full medical examination and statement of fitness to work to engage in the consultancy. Consultants are required to submitย doctor's certificate to stateย fitness to work and travel for this assignment. Due to large number of potential applicants, only competitively selected candidates will be contacted for remaining steps of the service procurement process. The consultant is expected to use their own computer equipment. The office will not provide any computer equipment for this assignment. Travel and DSA will be booked and settled as per SSA norms directly by UN Women on submission of F-10 form with original ticket stubs, vouchers, etc. as per actuals.Statements :
In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.
Diversity and inclusion:
At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates,ย and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age,ย ability, national origin,ย or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.
If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.
UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere toย UN Womenโsย policiesย and proceduresย andย theย standardsย of conduct expected of UN Women personnelย and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)
Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.
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