Programme Associate

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, work for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men and other diverse gender as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.
The Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) portfolio in India focuses on creating an enabling and safe environment for women’s greater participation and leadership in economic activities.
UN Women is undertaking efforts to address gender-based inequalities faced by women workers in the garment supply industry.
India has a total workforce of 520 million people, and the textile and garment sector is the third largest employer in the country after agriculture and construction, employing 45 million people. India is the second largest textile and garment exporter worldwide after China and the sixth largest exporter of garments globally. In November 2017, India’s textile and garment sector had a total turnover of USD 150 billion, the largest portion of which went to the domestic market and USD 36 billion of which was in the form of exports. Ready-made garments constitute the largest sub-sector, accounting for 43 percent of total textile exports in the first nine months of 2016-17. While the EU and the US are the main export markets, making up 47 percent of all textile and garment exports, China represents the main import country and accounts for 16.6 percent of all textile and garment imports to India.
Tamil Nadu is regarded as numero uno in textiles and garments in India. It has at least one-third of the textile business in the country, with 2,032 spinning mills (total mills in India: 3,542), 5.63 lakh power looms (India: 24.86 lakh), 1.55 lakh handlooms (India: 23.77 lakh), and nearly 15,000 garment units (close to one lakh units nationally).  The State houses clusters of the entire textile value chain –spinning, weaving, processing, and garmenting.
A study on ‘Socio-Economic profile of women working in textile units of Tiruppur district in Tamil Nadu’ by Dr. P Mala in 2016 reveals that in Tamil Nadu, the textile industry is female dominated.  Women workers are about 65% and mostly unskilled. Yet, despite being one of the largest employers of women, the conditions continue to be discriminatory, isolating and exploitative for women and girls. Studies by the Fair Wear Foundation and other organizations have indicated absence of formal contracts, long working hours in cramped spaces, insecure contracts, wage discrimination, absence of creches, widespread sexual exploitation and abuse. The predominance of small firms, low qualification of the workforce and limited trade union presence, contribute to this exploitation and discrimination particularly in terms of women.
The Project ‘ Women’s Empowerment for Textile’ forms part of UN Women’s WEE  Programme and its intersections with UN Women’s Flagship Programme Initiatives [Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces for Women and Girls and global initiatives (SASA , RESPECT)]  to end Violence against Women and Girls.  It is an innovative and catalytic initiative aimed at preventing and responding to sexual harassment at the workplace and prevention of other forms of gender-based violence against women and girls in select community locations of the Textile Industry in the state of Tamil Nadu.
The Women’s Empowerment for Textile (WEFT) project is designed to forge and strengthen a multi-sectoral coalition in Tamil Nadu (Textile/Apparel) to effectively prevent and respond to sexual harassment of women and girls at the workplace, and other forms of gender-based violence, through targeted interventions.  Convened by UN Women the coalition will comprise of global brands suppliers/manufacturers, government, industry associations, trade unions, civil society organisations, and other relevant stakeholders.
The coalition will facilitate an enabling legislative and policy environment focussed on effective prevention and response strategies and mechanisms to end violence against women. It will focus on factory and community interventions to promote favourable social norms, attitudes and behaviour at worksites, public spaces, community, and individual levels to prevent violence against women. The coalition will comprise suppliers/manufacturers, government, industry associations, trade unions, civil society organisations, businesses, global brands, etc.
Reporting to Project Coordinator – WEFT, the Programme works with and provides support to the members of the Programme Team in the development and implementation of effective programmes consistent with UN Women rules and regulations.  The Programme Associate contributes to research, financial management, and programme implementation including providing necessary operational, administrative and programmatic support. The Programme Associate works in close collaboration with the operations, programme and projects’ staff in the county office and UN Women regional office and headquarters as required for resolving complex finance-related issues and exchange of information.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Provide advanced administrative and logistical support to the formulation and management of WEFT and WEE projects/programmes:

Any other tasks as assigned by the Supervisor:
Key Performance Indicators: