Winrock International: Appropriate technologies and women's productivity in Ethiopia

This is an information summary sheet of one project that came out of the 27 grants provided by WIDTECH to support gender integration in development policies and programs. This grant was attributed with the objective of narrowing the information gender gap. Most specifically, the projects looked at the development, use, dissemination, adoption and impact of types of technologies in women's lives in rural Amhara region in Ethiopia. Results show that technology development is class bias (focusing on those who can afford it) and it is driven by outside promoters as opposed to farmers' knowledge and needs. It is agreed that women will benefit from technologies, but their needs and priorities are not addressed. The majority of women see fuel and water collection as difficult tasks; many still use clay pots to carry water and inefficient stoves. Those who use technologies are illiterate, married, and younger than 49 years. This project concluded that there is a gap between women's needs and the types of technology being developed.