Call for Proposals: Preventing Violence Against Women in Public, Private and Workplaces (India)

Deadline: 1-Aug-23

UN Women is inviting proposals to work with all relevant stakeholders to develop and implement an industry wide plan of action to prevent and respond to violence against women in public, private and workplaces in textile sector in Tamil Nadu.

Scope of Work

• Against this backdrop, UN Women seeks the services of an organization, hereinafter referred as proponent organization to work with all relevant stakeholders to develop and implement an industry wide plan of action to prevent and respond to violence against women in public, private and workplaces in Tamil Nadu. The programme will strengthen capacities of employees across all levels in factories through training of trainers’ strategies as well as of the communities in addressing gender-based violence by strengthening of policies and practices at factories aligned with POSH, reviewing and strengthening monitoring and reporting mechanisms at factories and undertaking capacity-building interventions at the factory and community level also focussed on the social norm and behaviour change.
• The Programme interventions will lead to:
  • Mapping existing programmatic interventions to prevent and respond to discrimination and gender-based violence against women in the textile sector in Tamil Nadu by brands and factories, NGOs, trade unions, government and other stakeholders on good practices and gaps.
  • Undertaking a pilot with select factories and communities focussed on:
    • strengthening of policies and practices at factories level
    • reviewing and strengthening monitoring and reporting mechanisms at factories including developing a comprehensive and integrated reporting and grievance redressal mechanism (online/offline), aligned with existing government legislative provisions.
    • undertaking capacity building interventions at the factory and community level focussing on changing social norm and behaviour change.
  • Working with government
    • to identify and address policy implementation gaps.
    • to strengthen capacities of government personnel at state, district and block/village level for effective implementation of policies.
    • to institutionalize mechanisms at the district/block level to address sexual harassment at public, private, work and digital spaces through district and block empowerment hubs.
  • Ensuring sustained action by factories to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and gender-based violence in factories and linked communities through corporate commitments
  • Facilitating proactive reporting, disclosures as well as avenues to learn from incidents, continuously improve approaches to ensure transparency and accountability to women workers, stakeholders, and the community.
• The project envisions to prevent and respond to discrimination and gender-based violence against women in public, private workplaces, and digital spaces, specifically in the textile sector in Tamil Nadu. The programme is focussed on collective action by a multi-stakeholder industry coalition comprising brands, suppliers/manufacturers, government, industry associations, trade unions and civil society organisations.

Funding Information

• The budget range for this proposal should be [UN Women to insert the range (INR 1,40,00,000- 1,50,00,000 Min. – Max.)].
• Timeframe: September 2023- October 2025.

Key Activities and Outputs

• Undertake a baseline study to map and review existing policies/programmes, monitoring, reporting and redressal mechanisms at the government, brands, factory, civil society and community level.
  • Key activities:
    • Determine the extent of sexual harassment at workplace and other types of gender-based violence (not limited to violence in public, private, and digital spaces) at the community level.
    • Review and analysis of existing policies (including POSH, procurement, HR)/programmes/interventions by government, brands, factories, NGOs, trade unions and other relevant stakeholders to address sexual harassment and gender-based violence in Tamil Nadu and their implementation, monitoring, communication, reporting and transparency aspects and provide evidence based findings.
  • Key outputs:
    • An inception report with a detailed research methodology and ethical considerations that will be applied, including a literature review, primary and secondary data collection plan, tools/instruments for quantitative and qualitative data collection, analysis, and research limitations.
    • A draft report with findings and recommendations from the baseline study about interventions to be undertaken by the industry coalition members taking into consideration and building on existing initiatives by various stakeholders while avoiding duplication.
• Based on the findings from the baseline review and emerging recommendations provide handholding support to the relevant stakeholders at the government, brands, factories and community level in refining/strengthening the design, implementation, monitoring, communicating and transparency of relevant policies.
  • Key activities:
    • Provide technical and handholding support in refining/strengthening the policies to address the gaps in their design, implementation, monitoring, communication, and reporting/transparency.
    • Develop an action plan to implement the policies with identification of resources for implementation.
  • Key outputs:
    • Policies at the brands, factory, community and government level refined/strengthened/adapted and implemented based on the recommendations emerging from baseline.
    • A comprehensive reporting and grievance redressal mechanism developed aligned with existing government tools/systems/mechanisms/ processes.
• Adapt/Refine/Strengthen existing training modules available with UN Women/brands/NGOs/government and conduct capacity building trainings on prevention and response of sexual harassment and violence at the select factories at all levels – senior, middle and lower management, all employees and staff, personnel linked with related facilities, like working women hostel staff and warden, etc. through an appropriate methodology targeting maximum coverage.
  • Key activities:
    • Based on the review of existing training modules in the baseline assessment adapt/refine/ strengthen existing modules or develop new modules if needed.
    • Develop communication material and a communication strategy to disseminate information on policies, interventions, redressal and other relevant communication.
  • Key outputs:
    • A comprehensive training modules and training strategy with review and feedback mechanisms built-in so that they are updated annually based on on-ground realities.
    • A methodology for training on prevention and response to sexual harassment and violence at government and the select factories at all levels- senior, middle and lower management, all employees and staff personnel linked with related facilities, like working women hostel staff and warden, etc.
• Design and implement community-based initiatives for social norms and behaviour change at the factory-linked production clusters/communities, strengthening prevention and redressal mechanisms at the community level through activating block and district-level hubs.
  • Key activities:
    • Establish a Women’s Empowerment Group (WEG) in select production clusters of the identified manufacturers/suppliers, including an expanded circle of women agents of change.
    • Build capacities of women agents of change to understand better forms, nature, and sites of VAWG, including from the community.
    • Conduct a series of awareness-raising sessions providing substantive content and materials in project locations aimed explicitly at the community.
  • Key outputs:
    • Women agents of change identified, their capacities strengthened, and community interventions undertaken in consultation and buy in from the community members.
    • District and Block Empowerment Hubs formed and operationalized.
    • Comprehensive early intervention/prevention programme developed and implemented.
• Develop a systemic process for Knowledge Management and information and communication dissemination plan for the programme.
  • Key activities:
    • Develop ways of ensuring Knowledge exchange and sharing updates/progress of the project at the appropriate national and international platforms.
    • Create appropriate linkages with UN Women’s campaigns on Generation Equality, UNITE, 16 days of Activism and those of participating stakeholders to create ownership.
  • Key outputs:
    • Knowledge products developed and disseminated.
    • Sharing and learning exchange events organized.
    • Industry Coalition socialized at relevant national and international platforms including with support from UN Women.

Target Groups

• Management and employees of selected textile/garment factories in the above geographical locations
• Women, men and youth in the community

Geographical Area and Coverage

• Factory Interventions: 10-12 factories in Coimbatore, Dindigul, Erode, Karur, Tiruppur and Salem Districts of Tamil Nadu.
• Community Intervention: 7 production clusters (Gujiliamparai in Dindigul, Pallipalayam in Erode, Malaikovilur and Seethapatti colony in Karur, Iduvampalayam, Iduvai and Vanjipalayam in Tirupur) and in 4 districts.

Competencies

• Organizational competencies:
  • At least 5 years of experience of implementing successful innovative projects at factory and community level in textile sector with a focus on addressing gender based violence.
  • Strong experience of working with a multi-stakeholder programme, including government and corporates.
  • Substantial experience of working with Central Ministries/State Departments, and other government agencies for implementing programs related to addressing sexual harassment in the workplace.
  • Demonstrated experience in conducting baseline research, with mixed-methods skills and having flexibility in using non-traditional and innovative methods preferably in the areas of ending gender based violence.
  • A strong commitment to delivering timely and high-quality results, i.e. credible evaluation and its report that can be used.
  • Demonstrated experience of working with private sector.
  • Prior experience on working with UN agencies as a partner is an added advantage.
  • The proposal must also include the brief of the sub-partner organization, in case, if the proponent wishes to engage (for ex., rationale of selections, roles, responsibility and accountability).
• Qualifications and competencies of Team Leader:
  • Advanced University degree with 7 years of relevant professional experience in project design, implementation, management, monitoring especially in the areas violence against women and its intersections with women’s economic empowerment
  • At least 5 or more years of experience working in the textile supply chain or similar industry value chain
  • In depth understanding of relevant policies and programmes impacting women’s workers in the textile supply chains.
  • Expertise in gender and human-rights based approaches and issues of violence against women and girls, women safety.
  • Experience in collecting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data.
  • Knowledge of procurement processes in the textile industry at the factory and global brands level.
  • Experience in engaging or having worked for/with international apparel brands.
  • Substantial relevant experience and expertise in managing multi stakeholder/partners projects preferably in textile supply chains.
  • Fluency in English is a must.
  • Working knowledge of Tamil preferred.
• Qualifications and competencies of Team Members:
  • Must have a minimum of 3 years’ experience in coordinating projects preferably on Violence against women, Gender Equality and Women Empowerment.
  • Must have Bachelor’s or equivalent degree in the field of social sciences, gender, social work and related area.
  • Experience in work related to supply chain, especially in textile industry related to EVAW/gender equality or EVAW is desirable.
  • Fluency in English is a must.
  • Working knowledge of Tamil is essential.

For more information, visit UN Women.