Sarita Barpanda

Candidate Message

In response to your advertisement, I offer my candidature for the post of Country Director, Americares. Currently I am working as an Associate Director (Human Rights Due Diligence), CottonConnect, and based in New Delhi. I have been working in the development sector for last twenty-eight years.
My responsibilities in my current job are as follows:
• Provide and support 23 State Units across India to strengthen and advocate for human right and embed human rights due diligence and social justice for women farmers, migrant labourers, children and indigenous communities.
• Build advocacy platforms in 10 focused state to strengthen systems addressing gender-based violence, and preventing obstetric violence which has led to high maternity deaths in these ten states.
• Fundraising and coordination with international organisations and develop proposals as per national and international norms and standards to address gender-based violence and reproductive justice.
• Create networks and platforms for women farmers to advocate for better services from the state
• Liasioning and linkages for better advocacy with multiple stakeholders at the national as well as at the state level.
• CottonConnect’s main point of contact in projects funded customers in the fashion industry as well as in the cotton industry
• Contributing to the commission and undertaking of mid-term and final evaluations and other studies commissioned by the donors.
My areas of competencies are:
 Design, implement, train, oversee budget and provide supportive supervision to strengthening coalitions and advocate for amendment in laws, norms and programmes of government of India and the states.
 Strategic planning and the ability to establish rights-based programmes.
 Training and mentorship in participatory methods and participatory research
 Selection of credible partners, who maintain transparency and accountability in their projects.
 Leadership skills, which includes the ability to supervise and motivate the stakeholders.
 Strong fundraising skills
 Strong documentation and communication skills.
 Micro-Macro linkages in terms of policy, advocacy and implementation.
 Strengthening public private partnership initiatives for Community based initiatives.
I have traveled extensively within and outside of India, supporting mentoring and advocating for the rights and dignity of women in need and affected by violence; I have worked in national, international and bilateral organisations. Within India I have also worked with the District Administration, state and national government as well as Human Rights Institutions across the country. I am aware of the need and importance of effective coordination amongst all the stakeholders as well as the need to establish networks and partnerships between rightsholder and the stakeholders.
I am confident that the challenges the job offers will be handled adequately and sincerely by me.