Sushma Reddy (left) teaches basic computer literacy to Pichchikuntla Balamma
Investing in women to assist human development
Dr. Venkataraman Balaji, Head, Knowledge Management and Sharing,
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and
Ms. Helen Lentell, COL Education Specialist, Training and Materials Development
We cannot find solutions to the challenges of development without dealing with gender inequality. A gender focus is not only an issue of human rights but also a way of improving the efficiency and benefits of development. This is a very practical argument: policy attention to women and investment in women will pay off in accelerated development.
Gender inequality is the most pervasive form of inequality in the world today. While it may take different forms, it is a feature of social relations in most societies. It affects all groups and classes within society but is more severe among the poor. Gender biases are often defined by cultural and social norms, and enshrined in laws that discriminate against women. Women living in poverty are often denied access to critical resources such as credit, land and inheritance. Their labour goes unrewarded and unrecognised. Their health care and nutritional needs are not given priority, they lack sufficient access to education and support services and their participation in decision-making at home and in the community are minimal. Caught in the cycle of poverty, women lack access to resources and services to change their situation.
It is now widely accepted that gender inequality must be addressed if poverty is to be eradicated. Development initiatives must pay particular attention to the needs of poor women. There is now robust evidence that suggests that investment in women is a route to achieving other human development goals. In other words, there is a link between the well being of women and a variety of demographic, health and welfare outcomes. For example, making learning accessible to women leads to better health for the entire family which in turn leads to a stronger workforce and increased economic growth.
COL is committed to gender equality and to a strategy of mainstreaming gender in its programmes. We support UNESCO's position that, "Mainstreaming is a strategy for making women's as well as men's concerns and experience an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes...to ensure that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated."
Learning for Female Farmers: ODL
Recurrent drought poses a serious threat to the poor rural families living in the vulnerable areas. Women are among the most affected as they need to cope with uncertain crop or animal production regimes even as they face reduced food availability for their families.
ICRISAT, in partnership with COL, has developed a project for drought preparedness among the rural poor in tropical areas. Information is the backbone of drought preparedness, and educating the vulnerable families is the best way to improve capacity to mitigate drought.
ICRISAT's pilot field research project combines open learning methods with rural Internet access kiosks. In the State of Andhra Pradesh, India, ICRISAT works with an all-women micro-credit federation - 4,900 members in a population of approximately 45,000, covering 37 hamlets. Learning modules on drought are available to the federation members. Ms. Sushma Reddy, a young member with high school education, acts as the facilitator of this programme. Having undergone basic training in information technology, Sushma provides courses on soil, weather and crop health. She supports the learners at her "hub", located in the premises of the rural micro-credit federation, on the outskirts of a large village. Electricity is available for part of the day, and ICRISAT helped the federation obtain a low-cost satellite connection to the Internet.
The strategy for open and distance learning here was to adapt it for users who have not been in a classroom for several years. The project developed a group of facilitators who act as credible intermediaries between the experts and the rural woman who use information. A combination of CD-media and local print are used, and the facilitator often sits with a small group of learners to extend support. Sushma has used some of the modules on an open source learning management system to create simple material for local information purposes.
One significant outcome of this project has been considerably improved extension service for the women farmers. For example, Chandrakala, 30, a farmer in Janampeta village says that she was able to apply the right pesticide in a dry season with advice and knowledge acquired through this programme, saving precious money. Previously, the pesticide dealers gave advice and sold their product with very mixed results. This new channel that delivers information as well as focussed advice is changing all that, according to farmers in the area. Intelligent mediation of learning by a credible person makes a difference when the person is able to learn and work.