Hiring for: Social-cum-Gender Expert (FPCs) – 1 Position
(Women candidate preferred)

Location: Sangamner (Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra)

A little bit about who we are

Established in 1993, WOTR is a nationally recognized development organization working at the intersection of climate resilience, natural resource management, sustainable agriculture, livelihoods, women’s empowerment, and institutional development. WOTR collaborates with communities, government agencies, research institutions, civil society organizations, and private-sector partners to enhance the resilience and prosperity of vulnerable rural communities. Over the past three decades, WOTR has implemented and supported large-scale development programmes across India, contributing significantly to climate adaptation, watershed development, farmer institution strengthening, and sustainable livelihood enhancement.

ProRISE Phase II is a strategic initiative focused on strengthening Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) as climate-resilient, market-oriented agribusiness enterprises that enhance farmer incomes, promote sustainable agriculture, empower women, and strengthen rural economies.

Position Overview

The Gender Expert will be responsible for promoting women’s participation, leadership, and entrepreneurship within Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs). The role will involve working closely with women farmers, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), FPC members, community institutions, and local stakeholders to ensure that women and marginalized communities actively participate in and benefit from FPC business activities.

The position requires extensive field engagement and hands-on support for implementing women-centric livelihood, enterprise, leadership development, and social inclusion initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Women Mobilization & Institution Strengthening

- Mobilize women farmers and rural women entrepreneurs to participate in FPC activities.
- Facilitate women’s membership, shareholding, and active participation in FPCs.
- Strengthen women producer groups, SHGs, commodity groups, and village-level institutions.
- Promote collective action among women for production, aggregation, processing, and marketing activities.

Women Entrepreneurship & Livelihood Promotion

- Identify and support women entrepreneurs linked to FPC value chains.





- Facilitate women-led business activities such as:

- Primary collection centres

- Input retail outlets

- Seed production groups

- Nursery enterprises

- Processing and value addition units

- Custom hiring services

- Aggregation and marketing activities

- Support women in preparing business plans and accessing enterprise development opportunities.

Gender Mainstreaming in FPC Operations

- Ensure women’s participation in FPC meetings, trainings, exposure visits, and business activities.
- Support implementation of gender-sensitive interventions across production, aggregation, processing, and marketing activities.
- Facilitate inclusion of women in FPC governance structures and decision-making processes.

Capacity Building & Training

- Conduct training programmes on:

- Women’s leadership

- Entrepreneurship development

- Financial literacy

- Business management

- Gender equality

- Governance and participation

- Market-oriented livelihood opportunities

- Organize exposure visits, field demonstrations, and peer learning programmes for women farmers and entrepreneurs.

Financial Inclusion & Access to Services

- Facilitate access to:

- Bank accounts

- Credit and loans

- Government schemes

- Insurance services

- Enterprise development programmes

- Support women members in accessing institutional finance and livelihood enhancement opportunities.

Social Inclusion & Community Engagement

- Ensure participation of smallholders, tribal communities, landless households, youth, and other vulnerable groups in project activities.
- Conduct awareness programmes on gender equality, women’s rights, and economic empowerment.
- Engage with families and community leaders to create an enabling environment for women’s participation in economic activities.

Documentation & Reporting

- Maintain records of women participation, training programmes, enterprises promoted, and social inclusion initiatives.




- Collect field data and success stories related to women empowerment and livelihood enhancement.
- Support preparation of progress reports, case studies, and project documentation.
- Track key indicators related to women’s participation, leadership, income enhancement, and enterprise development.

Stakeholder Coordination

- Coordinate with:

- FPC management teams

- SHGs and village institutions

- Government departments

- NRLM and livelihood missions

- Financial institutions

- NGOs and development partners

- Market actors and buyers

- Facilitate convergence with relevant government schemes and programmes benefiting women farmers and entrepreneurs.

Desired Qualifications

- Master’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree in Gender Studies, Social Work, Rural Development, Sociology, Development Studies, Agriculture Extension, or related disciplines.
- Additional training in gender, livelihoods, entrepreneurship development, or community mobilization will be an advantage.

Experience Required

- Minimum 5 years of experience in rural development, women empowerment, livelihoods, social inclusion, or FPO/FPC promotion.
- Experience working with SHGs, women collectives, producer groups, cooperatives, or community-based organizations.
- Experience in facilitating livelihood and enterprise development activities for rural women.
- Understanding of FPO/FPC operations and agricultural value chains will be preferred.
- Experience in conducting trainings, community mobilization, and stakeholder engagement.

Essential Skills and Competencies

- Robust community mobilization and facilitation skills
- Understanding of gender and social inclusion principles
- Training and capacity-building skills
- Women’s entrepreneurship and livelihood promotion
- Documentation and reporting skills
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Problem-solving and conflict resolution abilities
- Ability to work independently in rural field conditions
- Proficiency in local languages and community engagement
- Willingness to travel extensively across project locations

How to Apply: Send your application to [email protected] with the subject line ‘Social-cum-Gender Expert, Sangamner’ and fill the https://forms.gle/UGReuWGbDESqeH9H8

📌 Social-cum-Gender Experts (DPMU) - Sangamner, Maharashtra
🏢 Watershed Organisation Trust
📍 Sangamner