Date of Issue: 19 August 2026
Closing Date: 28 August 2026 (Apply before 12.40 PM)
SSA Announcement No. UN Women/ICO/SSA/2026/015
|
I. Position Information
|
|
Job Code Title: National Technical Consultant – Women Artisans of Change (Crafts Sector)
(Local Post for Indian Nationals and Applicants with a Valid Work Permit)
Organization: United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the
Empowerment of Women (UN WOMEN)
Classified Grade: SSA
Project: Women Artisans of Change (WeACe)
Direct supervisor: Programme Analyst WEE, UN Women India MCO
Duty Station: Home Based/Delhi, India
Type of Contract: SSA
No. of positions: 1
Duration: One Year (20 working days)
|
II. Organizational Context
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 Women’s 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. In addition, UN Women CO is also leading and coordinating the UN system’s 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 ackn––––––owledged importance in promoting women as entrepreneurs, recognizing their potential to significantly contribute to empowerment and well-being.
The textile sector is one of India's largest employers, providing livelihoods to millions of women across handloom, handicrafts, and allied value chains. Recognizing the sector's potential to advance women's economic empowerment, UN Women has established a strategic partnership with the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, to strengthen women's leadership, skills, entrepreneurship, and market participation across the handloom and handicrafts ecosystem. The partnership also seeks to promote environmentally sustainable and circular production practices, enabling women artisans and weavers to adopt resource-efficient techniques, improve market competitiveness, and contribute to a more resilient and inclusive textile sector.
Building on this partnership, UN Women is implementing the Women Artisans of Change (WeACe) initiative to strengthen the capacities of women artisans and weavers through skills development, entrepreneurship, design innovation, market access, and institutional partnerships. The initiative promotes collaboration with design institutions, government agencies, and the private sector to introduce sustainable production techniques, strengthen women's leadership and enterprise development, improve access to domestic and international markets, and enhance the visibility of women-led enterprises. It also supports knowledge generation, policy dialogue, and advocacy on women's participation in the textile sector, including issues related to circularity, sustainable livelihoods, and decent work.
The purpose of this consultancy is to support the implementation of UN Women's partnership with the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, and the WeACe initiative. Under the direct supervision of the Programme Analyst (Women's Economic Empowerment), the consultant will provide technical support for the day-to-day implementation of project activities; coordinate with government ministries, development partners, and implementing organizations; support the design and delivery of capacity-building programmes and training of trainers; develop high-quality knowledge products, policy briefs, proposals, and communication materials; and contribute to the planning and implementation of national consultations, conferences, and flagship events, including Bharat TEX. The consultant will also support research and advocacy on women's economic empowerment, leadership, entrepreneurship, and circularity within the handloom, handicrafts, and broader textile sector.
Application:
Interested applicants should apply to this announcement through UN Women jobs site:
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 (5 points).
- Minimum Experience relevant to the assignment (10 points)
- Working knowledge and experience of working with Government on gender issues (5 points).
The evaluation process for selection of the candidate will be based on the following assessment:
- Interview (80 points)
- Writing Samples (20 points)
Please 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 submit doctor's certificate to state 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.
- This is a full-time assignment. The consultant is expected to disclose any outside activity and shall not be permitted to take up any outside work during this assignment.
For detailed information, please check the complete version of the advert attached below.