Terms of Reference – M.A.P. Catalyst for Change Fellowship 2026- 2027
Job Title: CFC Fellow
Department: Gender Equality and Empowerment
Compensation: 6 Lakh Per Annum + benefits
Location: Nainital (Uttarakhand) and Shimla (Himachal Pradesh)
Reporting to: State Coordinator
Start Date: August 1, 2026
The Organisation
MAP, founded in 2013 works to democratise access to justice for migrants and forcibly displaced persons in India who face critical legal protection gaps. MAP builds community awareness, provides legal first response, and strengthens institutional accountability to address the impacts of migration, displacement, and gender-based violence (GBV).
Since its inception, MAP has assisted more than 25,000 marginalised individuals, including survivors of GBV, torture, and labour exploitation. MAP is a women-led organisation, and over 75% of its clients are women.
MAP is a growing organisation of 35+ staff, dedicated to inclusivity, accountability, mutual respect, and professional growth. For more information, visit
The Position
At MAP, we strongly believe that an organisation is made by its people. As a young and growing organisation, MAP is dedicated to building a team based on the ideals of inclusivity, accountability, and mutual respect, one that is committed to the organisational ethos but with a strong focus on personal development and work satisfaction.
MAP seeks 2 committed and motivated CFC Fellows to assist the State Coordinators in institutional engagement, capacity building, and programme implementation. The ideal candidate will be a dynamic legal professional familiar with litigation processes, passionate about gender justice, and eager to contribute to MAP’s mission of making justice accessible for marginalised communities.
This is a 2-year Fellowship positions, one each based in Nainital and Shimla with extensive in-state travel and periodic travel to Delhi. Preference will be given to candidates who have a background or connection to the State, including prior practice experience, bar certification, or relevant professional engagement within the State.
Key Roles and Responsibilities(Supporting the State Coordinator in Strengthening Access to Justice)
1. Institutional Coordination and Capacity Building
- Support the State Coordinator in engaging with LSIs, judiciary, bar associations, law universities, and state institutions to strengthen access to justice for marginalised groups.
- Assist in the implementation of existing policies, identifying systemic gaps, and supporting advocacy efforts for policy reforms.
- Coordinate and support capacity-building initiatives for institutional actors and legal aid providers, including trainings, workshops, and mentorship processes.
- Contribute to mapping and assessment of legal aid structures, with a focus on gender inclusion and survivor-centred mechanisms, to support programme strategy.
2. Partnerships, Coalitions, and Advocacy
- Assist in building and maintaining partnerships with law schools, bar associations, CSOs, and other justice ecosystem stakeholders.
- Support the formation and coordination of state-level coalitions to strengthen access to justice initiatives.
- Help document partnership processes, advocacy outcomes, and coalition learnings for programme reporting and knowledge management.
- Facilitate stakeholder consultations, meetings, and collaborative platforms for dialogue and action.
3. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)
- Support the State Coordinator in implementing state- and district-level monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks.
- Assist in baseline, midline, and end-line assessments, as well as routine data collection and analysis.
- Maintain documentation of programme progress, case studies, best practices, and evidence for adaptive learning.
- Support the management and updating of CMS systems and programme monitoring tools.
4. Communications, Outreach, and Events
- Assist in developing communication materials, success stories, case studies, and field learnings for internal and external dissemination.
- Support the organisation of regional events, consultations, roundtables, and crosslearning exchanges.
- Strengthen community and stakeholder outreach efforts to improve legal awareness and access to legal aid services.
- Coordinate with state and central communication teams for visibility and advocacy initiatives.
5. Research, Documentation, and Knowledge Generation
- Support the State Coordinator in undertaking research on access to justice issues, legal aid systems, and barriers faced by marginalised communities.
- Assist in producing research documents, thematic reports, and policy briefs that capture learnings, insights, and findings emerging from field engagements with communities and institutional actors.
- Contribute to documenting evidence, case studies, and best practices to inform programme design, advocacy, and institutional strengthening efforts.
6. Programme Operations and Administration
- Provide operational support to the State Coordinator in project implementation, reporting, and budget tracking.
- Participate in regular programme review meetings and provide timely updates on field progress.
- Support planning, logistics, and coordination for quarterly review meetings with the central project team.
- Assist with documentation, grant compliance, and administrative processes related to programme implementation.
- Ensure proper maintenance of records, reports, and administrative systems for effective programme delivery.
- The Fellow will be carrying out the aforementioned activities under the supervision of the State Coordinator.
Who Should Apply?
MAP is looking for applicants who are graduates of law, with 0-2 years of experience. Candidates must have a deep commitment towards human rights and access to justice issues. High-quality written and verbal communication skills (Hindi and English);
Why MAP?
Joining MAP offers an unparalleled opportunity to work at the forefront of systems change within India’s justice ecosystem. MAP is re-imagining how legal service institutions (LSIs) can function to build inclusive, accountable, and community-rooted systems that enable women justice actors to thrive. Our work bridges deep community engagement with institutional reform: strengthening legal aid pipelines, redesigning recruitment and training frameworks, building mentorship and recognition systems, creating technology platforms, and embedding gender-responsive practices across LSIs. For someone passionate about gender justice, institutional design, and impact at scale, MAP offers a rare and ambitious platform to shape a new era of legal aid- one where community wisdom, survivor-centric values, and structural transformation converge to shift how justice is delivered for millions.
Application Process:
Interested candidates are requested to complete the Application Form in the given link:
The deadline for receiving applications is 5:00 pm (IST) on 17th July 2026. If you have any queries, please write torecruitments@aratrust.in with the subject line “Application for the post of CFC Fellow – Uttarakhand / Himachal
MAP is an equal opportunity employer;
women across marginalized sections and gender minorities are encouraged to apply
Recruitment Stages
MAP’s Recruitment process, typically takes 6 to 8 weeks to complete the process .
Due to limited capacity, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, and we are unable to provide individual feedback to candidates. Any change in the timelines will be communicated to the shortlisted candidates.