Gender and Technology Training Guidelines
If you are working with a group of field workers, it will be useful to carry out steps 4
and 5 where you provide them with an opportunity to identify also technology skills
available within their communities.
If not, summarise after step 3 by highlighting the range of skills available and the
types of contributions these skills make. If appropriate, challenge participants to
place value on less recognised skills such as cooking or food processing.
Step 4
Ask participants to think about the communities they work with. What
skills and knowledge do the women and men in those communities
have? Brainstorm a list of skills and knowledge.
Step 5
How do the skills and knowledge available in the community differ from
those of the participants? How can they use this skills and knowledge
in their work?
Step 6
Discuss what the participants have learned from this exercise.
SESSION 4
INVENTING AND DESIGNING
Facilitator’s note
The design of technology can influence who uses it and how it is used. The
aesthetics or the way an object looks and the ergonomics or how the object fits the
user, are often forgotten aspects of technology development. If the aesthetics and
ergonomics are unsuccessful, the technology, or tool, can be unpleasant and difficult
to use. It is also likely to fail in the market place. If the aesthetics and ergonomics
are successful, it has often happened by accident rather than intent.
PURPOSE To help participants become aware of the aesthetics and ergonomics of tools
TIME
1 hour
MATERIAL Picture cards (these should show tools being used and show the tool clearly.
(These can be cut from magazines),. Two large sheets of paper, one with like
and one with do not like written on the top.
ACTIVITY 1 IF I WERE AN INVENTOR
TIME
30 - 45 minutes
16