(The Gist of Science Reporter) Technology Delivery to Empower Women  [FEBRUARY-2019]

(The Gist of Science Reporter) Technology Delivery to Empower Women

Technology Delivery to Empower Women

Introduction

• Urban women these days are using technologies that reduce their drudgery and improve lifestyles. Modem household appliances.
• ICT applications, computers, and gadgets for office going women have all made jobs simpler. However, in the rural scenario, life is somewhat different.

“Science & Technology for Women”

• The Government of India has floated many schemes for women empowerment and gender equity. There is a concern towards nutrition, literacy, skill development and income generation for women. The Department of Science & Technology has been implementing a scheme “Science & Technology for Women” with a view to empower women through inputs of Science and Technology, since the 1980 The broad objectives of this scheme are to promote development and adaptation of appropriate technologies, transfer of proven technologies and demonstration of live technology models to benefit women. Numerous priority areas, with women as specific target groups, have been identified for proper scientific/technical interventions for empowerment and sustainable livelihoods.
• Besides individual projects for technology development, upgradation, modulation and replication, the scheme also focuses on establishing “Women Technology Parks (WTP)" dial are envisaged to act as resource centres where all necessary support is made available to women from a single platform for improving the living conditions of women. Recognizing the likely benefits of an improved and structured mechanism for delivering technologies to the women in rural areas, a number of “Women Technology Parks" have been set up in different geographic/agro-climatic regions of the country. These Parks act as windows for providing information, creating awareness, giving training for appropriate technologies leading to skill upgradation and also to help establish the all-important forward and backward linkages for income generation through micro enterprises for women besides on-field trials for R&D and modulation of the technology packages to address location-specific needs.

Empowering Women

• Many technologies have been demonstrated, popularised and encouraged for adoption as an income generating model. To name a few - Biomass Dryers, Sanitary napkin making unit, Millet products. Mushroom Cultivation, Virgin coconut oil making, etc.
• Under the scheme “Science for Equity Empowerment & Development (SEED)" of the Department of Science &. Technology, S&T based agencies, agricultural extension divisions of universities, R&D laboratories and others are encouraged to submit proposals for technology development, adaptation, demonstration, etc. These technologies generally use locally available resources like bamboo, coconut, areca nut, banana and so on for value addition and preservation.
• Proposals are evaluated by experts and those that satisfy all the parameters are supported financially for a period of two to three years. Financial support is for manpower, logistics, consumables, raw materials, capital, equipment, training, etc. Women participants in the programme receive on-site training for the technologies. There is a mid-term review and mid-course corrections.
• Tamil Nadu is doing a project to upscale hatchery production of marine aquarium fishes by adopting innovative recirculation method and technology transfer to the coastal tribal women as their livelihood option, A demonstration hatchery with re circulatory system is being established to culture marine ornamental clownfish and others, This will help in conserving marine biodiversity and also help coastal tribal women.

The Need

• The world over it has been observed that when women work, economies grow. As women have more control over income, through their own earnings or cash transfer, more money is spent for the benefit of children. Increasing women and girls, education contributes to higher economic growth.

Way forward

• However, more women than men work in vulnerable, low-paid, or undervalued jobs. The UN Women data of 141 countries indicates that women and children who are poverty stricken are more vulnerable to natural disasters compared to their male counterparts. Where the socio-economic status of women is high, men and women die in roughly equal numbers during and after natural disasters, whereas more women than men die (or die at a younger age) where the socio-economic status of women is low. Therefore, we may the status improves the hazard say, as the vulnerability decreases,
• The programmes under S&T for Women" scheme of the government of India focus on employment generation through training, value addition to local resources, health & nutrition related projects aim at reduction of occupational hazards, address problems like malnutrition, anaemia, osteoporosis, etc. Introducing women-friendly technologies could lead to economic growth, sustainability and several other benefits.

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Courtesy: Science Reporter