Lightening the Load on Rural Women: How Appropriate is the Technology Directed Towards Africa?

Abstract

In sub-Saharan Africa, rural women, whose agricultural and household maintenance activities are recognized to be specifically arduous, are considered the main beneficiaries of labor-saving devices. This paper reassesses if and how rural ‘appropriate technology’ is potentially valuable to women. This entails examining what kinds of technologies are being promoted, and for whom they are being introduced, with comparisons drawn from Green Revolution experiences in Asia.

Factors contributing to the intensification of women’s work-day, as well as the contraction of their access to community-held natural resources, are discussed, followed by an assessment of the different purposes and phases in the development, spread and impact of rural technology on women producers. The conclusions consider the overall utility of technology initiatives, emphasizing the challenges posed by rural women’s severe lack of time and money for appropriate design and distribution strategies.