Women Empowerment and Community Development Manager / Coordinator

Opportunity for flexible, positive and creative people, preferably with experience working with children, to be the Project Manager / Coordinator for our women's Self Help Groups and Young Women's Associations in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The main responsibility of these roles is to mobilise, organise, plan and prepare activities for these roups which range in attendance from 6–to 15 people, depending on the assigned community.

The Girls' Clubs is a program aimed at fostering confidence in girls through educational and creative activities. Though some of the girls are enrolled in school or college, gender still often limits their daily activities. The Girls' Clubs are a space for them to express themselves outside their homes—and a small step toward the larger goal of empowerment.

The aim of Girls' Club is to provide the girls with new skills and deliver awareness and informational workshops on topics they may not learn about at home or in school. The clubs alternate between educational and creative activities each week topics include creative writing, drama, female health, innovation, gender rights and feminism, and global awareness.

The Young Women's Association aims to provide a time and space for young women of the rural community to participate in activities that are generally focused on positive social environment, recreation, awareness, and life skills. We also incorporate EduCARE India's sustainability program, SWASH, into the activities once a month. We are always looking for creative minds and fresh new ideas!

The primary aim of a Women’s Self-Help Group (SHG) in the non-farm sector, including healthcare, is to empower women by fostering economic independence and improving access to essential services. These groups enable women to:

1. Promote Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Development: Equip women with skills and resources to start and manage non-farm businesses, such as handicrafts, retail, or service-based enterprises, contributing to their financial independence.
2. Enhance Access to Healthcare: Improve community health by training SHG members in basic healthcare practices, preventive health measures, and first aid, ensuring better health outcomes in rural areas.
3. Facilitate Geriatric and Maternal Health Support: Provide care and assistance for vulnerable groups like the elderly, pregnant women, and children, bridging gaps in the healthcare system in under-resourced areas.
4. Build Financial Literacy and Savings Habits: Encourage savings and provide access to credit, empowering women to invest in their businesses and personal growth.
5. Foster Community-Based Solutions: Strengthen social solidarity and collective problem-solving, especially around healthcare issues, mental well-being, and economic challenges faced by rural communities.

By achieving these goals, the SHG helps create a more resilient, self-reliant, and healthy community.

General Requirements

The Project Manager / Coordinator is required to implement, innovate and manage one or more projects in support of the Project Coordinator / Program Director where applicable. They work closely with the other team members to implement on-ground projects and manage/coordinate them daily, monitor and evaluate these projects and their resource needs on a weekly and monthly basis, and update project manuals and documentation to ensure clear communication and continuity.

There is a large amount of flexibility in our organization and we believe that creative and new approaches to problems are needed to cause a real and sustainable impact, thus the Project Manager / Coordinator is encouraged to innovate new projects where they see a need and have an idea for a solution. Additionally, the Project Manager should reach out to their community and create/maintain communication and collaboration for the education and empowerment of the local community.

Responsibilities:

• Manage their defined projects, working as a team with other PM's and programs
• Monitor, evaluate and report on the project activities to the Program Coordinator / Director
• Create and update documentation and research regularly
• Create long-term, medium-term and short-term plans with the support of the Program Coordinator
• Attend cluster meetings and assist on other projects where needed
• Create blog posts related to their projects and experiences monthly
• Update or create a project manual at the end of the fellowship.

Candidate Specification

A master's degree in management, Social Work, Sociology, Education, Rural Development or Gender Studies is desirable. Experience working with women is desirable. Self-initiative and flexibility are key to a successful internship with EduCARE India. Other essential skills are the ability to work as a part of a team, leadership skills, good interpersonal and communication skills, patience to deal with the constraints of working and living in rural India, independence and a positive attitude. All communication within the organization is in English, thus fluency is necessary.