L I N K I N G S C I E N C E A N D T E C H N O L O G Y T O

Wo m a n ’s Needs

Table of ContentsWomen 2000: Beijing Plus Five 12 Critical Areas of Concern . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Science, Technology, and Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Women Making a Difference: Celia Castilio, social scientist . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Better Life Options for Young Girls and Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Women Making a Difference: Flossie Wong-Staal, AIDS researcher . . . . . . . 8

Women, Health, and Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Women Making a Difference: Joyce Robinson, teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Women Making a Difference: Gertrude S. Aboagye, agriculturist . . . . . . . . 11

Community-run Preschools in Rural Chile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

An International Forum to Unite Women Scientists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Women Making a Difference: Pilar Cereceda, Clean, Fresh Water in Chile . . 15

Solar Energy in Kenyan Refugee Camps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Women Making a Difference: Palmira Ventosilla, microbiologist . . . . . . . . 19

Women, Agriculture, and the Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Electricity in the Pacific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Science Theatre in South Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Women and Intellectural Property Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

About Global Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Global Alliance Goals and Strategic Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

• one •

In September 1995, more than 180 governments signed the BeijingPlatform for Action at the Fourth World Conference on Women. Five yearslater, a special session of the United Nations General Assembly willreview progress achieved and obstacles encounterd. This booklet offersexamples of how science, engineering, and technology intersect the critical issues articulated in the Platform.

Photo © United Nations

• two •

1. POVERTYDevelop macroeconomics mechanisms to improve access to economic resources.

2. EDUCATION AND TRAININGEnsure equal access to education and promote life-long education and trainingfor girls and women.

3. HEALTHIncrease women's life-long access to affordable, appropriate, and quality healthcare and to information dealing with maternal mortality, sexually transmitteddiseases, HIV/AIDS, and sexual and reproductive health.

4. VIOLENCEAdopt and implement legislation to end violence against women, ratify the UNConvention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women,and encourage international cooperation to dismantle trafficking in women.

5. ARMED CONFLICTIncrease participation of women in conflict resolution at decision-makinglevels; condemn ethnic cleansing and rape as a consequence of war and a violation of human rights.

6. ECONOMYPromote women's economic rights and independence, including access toemployment and appropriate working conditions and control over economicresources.

7. DECISIONMAKINGEnsure women's equal access to and full participation in public sector powerstructures; increase women's capacity to participate in decision-making andleadership positions.

8. INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMSCreate and strengthen national bureaucracies to ensure that the advancementof women is vested in the highest possible level of government.

9. HUMAN RIGHTSPromote human rights of women by fully implementing all human rights instruments, especially the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms ofDiscrimination against Women.

10. MEDIAPromote a balanced and non-stereotyped portrayal of women in the media.

11. ENVIRONMENTIntegrate gender concerns and perspectives in policies and programs for sustainable development.

12. THE GIRL-CHILDEliminate discrimination against the girl-child: enforce rights to succession;eliminate female genital mutilation, son preference, and economic exploitationof child labor; and strengthen the role of the family in improving the status of the girl-child.

Women 2000: Beijing Plus Five12 Critical Areas of Concern

Worldwide, countries are facing environmental, health,energy, and many other challenges. Women experiencethese problems in different ways, often bearing morethan their fair share of the burdens for meeting theday to day needs of their families. This may mean apersonal struggle to find fuel and water, to grow foodand find medicines from the forest, or to find employ-ment for wages, while maintaining full responsibilityfor the workings of the household. While countriesaround the world strive to meet their needs for sustainable human development, women scientistsand engineers are needed to work alongside theirmale colleagues to solve these problems. Women scientists and engineers have made significantcontributions in many of these areas; however, manymore are needed in positions of authority to researchand solve these problems. A more diverse group ofwomen scientists and engineers, representing all ofthe cultural, racial, ethnic, and religious groups, areneeded who can address the challenges that affectthe planet, nation, states, communities, and families.

International conferences have identified problemsand formulated recommendations that recognize theurgency of increasing the participation of women inthe sciences and engineering. Among these was theUnited Nations Fourth World Conference on Womenand NGO (Non-Government Organizations) Forum thattook place in Beijing, China, in September 1995. With36,000 women in attendance, the event produced aGlobal Platform for Action for raising the status ofwomen and provided an unprecedented opportunity to forge alliances among thousands of delegates fromevery region of the world. In June 1999 the world science community came together at the UNESCO

World Conference on Science (WCS). In its report, WCS was clear and unequivocal in affirming the needto address obstacles that affect women’s full partici-pation in science and engineering and to provide fullaccess to women at all levels, including the highestlevels of decisionmaking related to science andtechnology.

The Platform For Action from Beijing was one ofthe strongest policy statements promoting women’sadvancement ever made by the international community. Beijing Plus Five, to be held in New YorkCity in the year 2000, is the follow-up meeting to theUnited Nation’s Fourth World Conference on Women.It will consider the outcomes and progress made ineach of the countries on advancing the status ofwomen and girls.

Women’s needs for such things as clean water, safefood, health care, employment, education, andtraining have been outlined in all of the women’sconferences, including Mexico City, Copenhagen,Nairobi, and Beijing. However, an understanding ofthe science and technology connections to meetingthese needs and the necessity for women scientistsand engineers to participate has been slow to build.As we enter the new millennium, science and technol-ogy must be raised to greater visibility on the agendafor women’s action. This booklet offers examples ofhow science, engineering, and technology intersectthe critical issues articulated in the Platform. It also profiles some of the women who are changing theface of science and technology throughout the world.

• three •

Dr. Shirley M. MalcomHead, Directorate for Education and Human Resources Programs

American Association for the Advancement of Science

P r e f a c e

In the future, science and techno-logy will likely play an even larger role in the creation of wealth asbiotechnology and communicationsindustries, among others, continueto grow. Because of this, moreattention must be paid to the rolescience and technology can and doesplay in shaping the lives of women.

Many studies have documented theinequalities faced by women in thescience, engineering, and technologyfields. Though some progress hasbeen made, the inequalities remainand are rooted in history. Womenwere disadvantaged more than menby the negative impacts of the agri-cultural and industrial revolutions.

While new technologies reduced theneed for unskilled labor, social barri-ers prevented women from receivingthe education and training needed to take advantage of new economicopportunities. We now run the riskof entering into a new technologicalrevolution based on information,communication, and health tech-nologies, without having learned any lessons from the past. Women’s limited access to training continuesto be a problem throughout the world.

Another barrier is the belief thatmen are better suited to highlyskilled tasks and are better able tohandle advanced technologies thanare women. This attitude persists inspite of visible achievements bywomen in science and technology.If women are to receive the full benefits of economic development,then we must change the way weview women’s and men’s roles, bothwithin and outside the mainstreamof science and technology.

We must strive to ensure that womenin the twenty-first century take theirrightful place in shaping their soci-eties and share in the benefits ofprogress. We need action on twofronts: strengthening the role ofwomen in mainstream science andtechnology and highlighting theimportance of the traditional knowledge that women bring to these fields.

First, we must work to changeattitudes towards women’s roles inscience and technology—on the partof men, and equally important, onthe part of women themselves. Anessential step in this process is tohighlight the significant role thatwomen have always played in advancing scientific knowledge andtechnological innovation. Though historically women have played animportant part in these technologi-cal revolutions, their relatively lowstatus in society prevented themfrom gaining fame or benefit fromtheir innovations. Because womenwere unable to take out patentsmany had their male relatives oracquaintances take credit for theirwork. We need to highlight women’slost heritage as technological inno-vators to erase the myth that theyare not good at or interested in science and technology.

A related issue is that of women’s traditionaltechnical knowledge andinnovation. This includesthe everyday processesof experimentation andadaptation in agricul-ture, healing, and otherareas that have gone onfor centuries in everypart of the world. Muchof this activity has beenunrecognized by thescientific mainstream.However, the logical andconsistent methods of

problem solving and experimentationthat are used by women, who are thecustodians of much of this indige-nous knowledge, form frameworks ofunderstanding that can inform science and technology. Recognizingthese “alternative” forms of innova-tion will help ensure that women’sextensive knowledge and contribu-tions are valued appropriately.

Individual efforts to strengthen therole of women in mainstream scienceand technology and to highlight theimportance of women’s traditionaltechnical knowledge will enhanceand enrich our world in many ways.Women are likely to gain the mostfrom processes that join these twoareas together and support themwith policies that are sensitive tomeeting women’s needs.

Science, Technology, and WomenIn the modern world, access

to and control over science andtechnology play a major role in

determining which nations—andwhich people within nations—

are rich or poor.

• four •

Photo © FAO

• five •

There is a clear correlation between a young women’s education and later reproductive health. For young women, just four years of education have been shown to correspond to a 30 percentdecrease in childbirths and a 50 percent decrease in infant mortality rates. (Source: FAO)

Photo © FAO

• six •

Gelia Castillo is a specialist in rural soci-ology and an early pioneer in the conceptof making the people of a communitymore active as agents in development.She has devoted her life to teaching,writing, and travel in more than 40 coun-tries around the globe. As a social scien-tist who emerged from a poor Filipinobackground, her ideas have influencedand inspired thinkers, policymakers, anddecisionmakers in government, interna-tional development, and academic circles.

Castillo has accumulated a large collec-tion of work on topics ranging from riceand potato farming to agricultural schooladministration and community develop-ment. Of her three books, Beyond Manilais her most famous and best encapsulates

rural Filipino life. It combines the issuesof income distribution, employment,labor, education, and migration. In thebook she underscores the definition ofa “household,” saying that the role ofwomen and children contributes greatlyto the dynamics of society.

It was Gelia’s father (who never went tocollege) and his household that has hadthe most profound impact on her life.Raising his family in a bamboo hut, hesacrificed land for her education andconvinced her that academic achievementwould be the key to her future.

His faith was well-founded; his daughterwent on to a distinguished career, mostprominently as Professor of RuralSociology at the College of Agriculture,University of the Philippines.

Castillo believes in giving back to societyall the good that life has given her. Herprojects and causes have bearing on people’s lives. Like many successfulwomen, she has also had to balance herfamily life with her career. Married withthree grown children, her husbandsupported her work and one of herdaughters has become a sociologist.

Castillo’s public speeches refer frequentlyto the Filipino cultural trait called theBayanihan spirit of mutual help, repre-sented by ordinary people carrying ontheir shoulders a thatched hut held bybamboo poles.

This article is based on a profile of GeliaCastillo that was originally published in1995 in the IDRC publication entitled “In Person: Profiles of Researchers in theAfrica, Asia, and the Americas.” Materialfrom this publication is reproduced herewith the kind permission of Canada’sInternational Development ResearchCentre.

Gelia Castillo,

Women in Filipino fishing villages play an important part in marketing the catchbrought in by their men folk. In Luciente, a fishing village in Pangasinan province,women help to unload the catch from the bancas, motorized fishing boats used inthe open sea. In the photo above, fish are weighed by a monitor, then taken tomarket by village women.

Castillo believes ingiving back to society all the goodthat life has givenher. Her projects andcauses have bearingon people’s lives.

W O M E N M A K I N G A D I F F E R E N C E :

• seven •

The Better Life Options program is a global initiative of theCentre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) to challenge gender inequity and expand life options of girlsand young women. The program promotes opportunities forgirls and young women ages 12-20 that enhance theirchoice with regard to fertility, education, health, employ-ment, and civic participation.

Youth-serving NGOs in host countries collaborate with CEDPA in the program. Support is provided by major privatemulti-lateral organizations including the United NationsPopulation Fund (UNFPA) and the World Bank.

The program was founded in 1987 to address the specialdevelopment needs of the girl child. Since its inception, the program has helped more than 500,000 girls through 46 projects in 14 countries to start on the road to a betterfuture.

The program currently serves girls and young women inIndia, Nepal, Pakistan, Mexico, Guatemala, Ghana, Nigeria,Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt.

TOOLSThe Choose A Future! manual developed by CEDPA can beused to educate girls on issues of personal development,health and reproductive education, legal rights, career planning, and leadership development.

CEDPA has also developed a framework for participatory evaluation, which is being used by organizations to developnew directions for their programs by involving the girlsthemselves.

INSTITUTION BUILDINGBetter Life Options Centers have been established in India,South Africa, Mexico, and Guatemala to provide technicalassistance and training to other organizations so that theirprojects serve as models for replication. CEDPA providestechnical assistance to large networks such as ChristianChildren’s Fund, India and PLAN Nepal to incorporate

programs for young women. This has helped to maximizeimpact with very little financial input from CEDPA.

CEDPA conducts annual three-week Youth Leadership workshops in Washington, DC for managers of youth programs and in-country workshops for implementors of programs. Since the workshops started in 1992, 224youth leaders have been served.

ABOUT CEDPAThe Centre for Development and Population Activities(CEDPA) is a women-focused nonprofit international organization founded in 1975. CEDPA’s mission is to empower women at all levels of society to be full partnersin development.

CEDPA’s strategies for empowerment include buildingthe capacities of development institutions and networks,mobilizing women’s participation at the policy level, linkingreproductive health services and women’s empowerment, andmaking youth an integral part of the development agenda.All CEDPA activities are designed to advance gender equity.

Working with partner nongovernmental organizations andnetworks in more than 37 countries, CEDPA designs,implements, monitors, and evaluates projects in family planning and reproductive health, family life education,women’s participation in empowerment, youth services, andinternational advocacy for women and girls. A series oftraining manuals for institution-building and service deliverycompiles CEDPA’s people-centered approach to development.

For more information, please contact:BETTER LIFE OPTIONSThe Centre for Development and Population Activities1717 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Suite 200Washington, D.C. 20036 USAPhone (202) 667-1142 Fax (202) 332-4496http://www.cedpa.org

Better Life Options for Young Girls and Women

Photos © FAO

• eight •

Flossie Wong-Staal is a leading pioneer in the fight against Acquired ImmuneDeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and theretrovirus that causes it. Listed in 1990 by the Institute for Scientific Informationas the top woman scientist of the pastdecade and the fourth-ranking scientistunder age 45 (she was born in China in1947), Wong-Staal is recognized today asone of the world’s authorities in the fieldof virology.

Her education included magna cum laudeundergraduate studies in bacteriology in1968 and a doctorate in molecular biologyin 1972, both received at the University of California-Los Angeles. She held a post-

doctoral fellowship at the University ofCalifornia-San Diego Medical Center in theearly 1970s and served as Section Chief ofMolecular Genetics of Hematopoietic Cellsin the Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology atthe National Cancer Institute in Bethesda,Maryland, from 1973 to 1989. Relocatingback to California in 1990, Wong-Staalbecame the director of the Center for AIDSResearch (CFAR), funded by the NationalInstitutes of Health.

Wong-Staal’s mission is to gain greaterknowledge of the virus that causes AIDSwhile at the same time working towardsits ultimate destruction. In studying AIDSand the HIV virus, Wong-Staal discovered

that in an infected individual,even a person without symptoms,the virus copies itself a trillion(10+12) times every day, killingperhaps a billion cells, all ofwhich are replaced—at least atfirst. While the body can hold outagainst the virus for quite sometime, it is eventually worn downbit by bit. And, with trillions ofcopies each day, enough subtlevariations are created that the

virus starts to mutate slightly. Wong-Staaland her colleagues realized that thesemutations made the virus into a movingtarget, or, in scientific terms, a “quasi-species.” The constant simmering of newquasi-species within the host means thatby the time the host develops antibodiesthey may already be obsolete. For this reason, as her knowledge of the retrovirusdeepened, Wong-Staal became convincedthat gene therapy—the manipulation of

genetic material in either the host or thevirus to make the host stronger or thevirus weaker—was the most promisingapproach. With HIV, the effort is on weak-ening the attacker. The advantage of genetherapy is that it has the potential to keepdoctors and patients one step ahead of themutations. Wong-Staal and her colleaguesare doing all they can to stay that onestep ahead.

Flossie Wong-Staal, AIDS Researcher

W O M E N M A K I N G A D I F F E R E N C E :

Wong-Staal’s mission is togain greater knowledge ofthe virus that causes AIDSwhile at the same time working towards its ultimatedestruction.

To succeed in preventing HIV transmission,countries need to work simultaneously onmany fronts—for example, through schools,and health facilities, in the workplace,through media campaigns, and through outreach to sex workers.

Photo © FAO

• nine •

This startling fact was highlighted by a report issued by researchers at TheJohns Hopkins University School ofPublic Health and the Center for Healthand Gender Equity.

The researchers report that victims ofviolence were found to be at higher risk for many long-term health problems.

“What is striking is how similar theproblem is around the world,” says LoriHeise, Co-Director of CHANGE and leadauthor of the Population Reports issue,Ending Violence Against Women,published by The Johns HopkinsPopulation Information Program.“Without exception, women’s greatestrisk of violence comes not from ‘strangerdanger’ but from men they know, oftenmale family members or husbands.”

Among findings culled from over 500studies of domestic abuse:

◆ Many women conceal their plight. Insurveys 22% to almost 70% ofabused women said that they hadnever told anyone about their abusebefore being asked in the interview.

◆ Rates of abuse can vary greatly inneighboring areas. Differencesamong regions, towns, or villages in the same country can be greaterthan differences among countries.

◆ Beyond immediate injury,violence often leads to serious long-term health problems, includingchronic pain, physical disability,drug and alcohol abuse, depression,and suicide attempts.

◆ The physical and psychologicalimpact of different types of abuseand multiple episodes over time

appears to be cumulative and canpersist long after the violence hasstopped.

◆ Children of battered women face a greater risk of low birthweight, malnutrition, behavioralproblems, and infant death in somesettings.

Although the problem is pervasive,public health research can help us understand the problem and poseresearch-based approaches for endingthe problem.

For more information or to read thefull report, see www.jhuccp.org/pr/l11edsum.stm.

Women, Health, and Violence

War and civil strife have resulted in health emergencies in many countries, spreading undernourishment and even starvation throughout civilian populations. In the photo above,farmers stand in line for seed in the aftermath of civil war in Rwanda.

Photo © FAO

One out of every three women worldwide has a serious long-term health problem linked to beating, rape, or other violence.

Teacher, communications executive, andthe first Jamaican to head the JamaicanLibrary Service, Joyce Robinson has contributed to the changing face of hercountry during her lifetime. She led thenational literacy campaign in the 1970s inwhich some 200,000 Jamaicans learned toread and write; and, from UNESCO, camean International Literacy Prize for thecampaign’s excellent results. Although herhonorary law degrees, lifetime achieve-ment awards, and international travelopportunities are all very much appreciat-ed, her greatest satisfaction comes fromknowing that she has made a contribution to her country’s development.

Dr. Joyce Robinson has spent 52 years inthe field of literacy, education, and train-ing, and, her work has been recognized inher native Jamaica and beyond. Hercareer has had four distinct yet interrelat-ed phases: library, literacy, television, andyouth training.

“Dr Rob,” as she is affectionately known,began as a student teacher at 16 years ofage and planned to study medicine. Aftercompleting Cambridge exams, Joyceworked voluntarily at the Young Mens’Christian Association in Trench Townbefore moving to the Black River HighSchool in St. Elizabeth. After 3 years as avolunteer in the parish, Joyce was invitedto join the Jamaica Library Service staffat its headquarters in Kingston. Within aspan of 10 years, she became the firstJamaican Director of Library Service, thedreams of being a doctor long ago super-

seded by the “excitement of trainingto become a librarian.”

More than a mere repository of printedreading material, the library was thecenter of social life in rural communities.It was where many budding Jamaicanartists had their first exhibitions. Masterpotter Cecil Baugh and famous Jamaicanpainter Karl Parboosingh first exhibitedtheir work in libraries.

The library service experience preparedRobinson for the demands of the job ashead of the revitalization of the nationalliteracy program in 1973 and for the otherjobs that followed. Robinson’s nonpartisanapproach to work is a trait admired by all.Few were surprised when, in 1973, thenational literacy program JAMAL ran intohard times, then Prime Minister MichaelManley asked Joyce Robinson to rescuethe project that aimed at getting everyJamaican to read and write. One yearlater, in recognition of her individual personal contribution to maintaining aunited Jamaica, Robinson was given theUnity Award.

During Robinson’s 8-year JAMAL stewardship, over 200,000 Jamaicanslearned to read. The success was largelydue to the network of volunteers createdalong the lines of that used by the libraryservice. Robinson and her staff used herlibrary service contacts to maintain thenetwork of 13,000 volunteer teachers, and1500 paid officers conducting 8000 class-es across the island. The network of com-

munity and church leaders and public- and private-sector officials was even more impressive when they succeeded in starting classes in the workplace.

Early in JAMAL’s reorganization, Robinsonvisited Cuba and observed its post-literacyprogram, which was effectively usingradio to reach learners. On her return, she spearheaded the creation of radioand, later, television programs.

When she left JAMAL for the JamaicaBroadcasting Corporation in 1981,Robinson had indeed rescued the LiteracyProgram. It won the Press Association ofJamaica special award for developmentalwork and, later, won a UNESCO LiteracyAward for its innovative nature andimpact in increasing the levels of literacy.

In 1982, Robinson became ManagingDirector of the Human Employment andResource Training Programme (HEART), a project out of Jamaica House (the officeof the Prime Minister) to mobilize andoffer skills training for school-leavers. Inthe 11 years under Joyce Robinson, theHEART Trust grew from a one-room facilityat the Prime Minister’s Office with onesecretary and a part-time administrativeassistant, to an organization with a budget of US $100 million providingtraining, development, and employmentfor over 30,000 young people.

Robinson saw the setting up of eightHEART Academies providing training forthe hospitality, construction, cosmetology,garment, business, and agriculture

sectors. The HEART school-leavers’ program was also started to find trainingopportunities and placements in theprivate sector for young people who hadleft school with inadequate job skills.Robinson also managed the implementa-tion of the Solidarity Program. The projectoffered business training and grantedloans through a self-start fund on thebasis of character references. At its inception, over 4200 projects wereestablished to help unemployed youthbetween the ages of 17 and 30 years.More than 35,000 people were assisted to become entrepreneurs.

This article is based on a profile of JoyceRobinson that was originally published in1995 in the IDRC publication entitled “In Person: Profiles of Researchers in theAfrica, Asia, and the Americas.” Materialfrom this publication is reproduced herewith the kind permission of Canada’sInternational Development Research Centre.

• ten •

Joyce Robinson, teacherW O M E N M A K I N G A D I F F E R E N C E :

Around 15 percent of the world’s population,more than 153 million young men andwomen, remain illiterate. Of those, 57 million are male, but 96 million are female.In 40 countries, less than 25 percent of girlsgo to secondary school. (Source: FAO)

• eleven •

Gertrude S. Aboagye, a specialist in cattleproduction and animal breeding at theUniversity of Ghana, spent four months in1997 at Food and Agriculture Organizationof the United Nations (FAO) headquartersin Rome as a Visiting Scientist workingwith the Animal Genetics ResourcesGroup. Aboagye hopes that her involve-ment in developing a global animalgenetic resources management programmewill help Ghana and other countries toreach a goal they all share—to improvethe productivity of their national livestock.

Gertrude S. Aboagye was born in Accra,Ghana in 1947. After studying agricultureat the University of Ghana, she went toCanada to do a Masters degree in AnimalBreeding (Cattle) at the University ofGuelph, Ontario. In 1976 she moved backto Ghana and began teaching in theDepartment of Animal Science at theUniversity of Ghana. She became SeniorLecturer in 1993.

Aboagye teaches cattle production andanimal breeding—her specialty—toundergraduate students. She often takesher students on field trips to nearby farmsto study cattle and other livestock. Shefinds her students very well informed and

concerned about how to improve theircountry. Many of them go abroad to studyand return to Ghana to do graduate work.

Aboagye is firmly convinced that improv-ing the genetic qualities and attributes oflivestock breeds is essential to increasinganimal productivity. She says that theGhanian government has made substantialprogress in that direction by implement-ing a new national agriculture and live-stock policy. An Animal Breeding Consul-tant Team has been set up in Ghana,funded by the World Bank. Aboagye workswith this team on behalf of the govern-ment in addition to her university duties.

At FAO, Aboagye worked with the AnimalGenetics Resources Group, which is developing FAO’s Global Programme forthe Management of Farm Animal GeneticResources. This program has a country-based global infrastructure to help coun-tries design, implement and maintaincomprehensive national strategies for themanagement of their animal geneticresources. The Domestic Animal DiversityInformation System (DAD-IS) is beingdeveloped as the superstructure for thedifferent databases, documents, and toolsrelated to animal genetic resources inFAO’s Global Programme. One of the most

important features of DAD-IS is thecapability to transfer and collect information through the Internet.

Aboagye worked mainly on the Breedsdatabase in DAD-IS, proposing improve-ments in its structure and developing amanual to help national coordinatorsenter and update their country’s data in auniform manner. As an informal contact,she submitted her country’s breeds datafor entry into the Global Databank, whichis visible in DAD-IS. Her involvement inthe programme at this very high level hasmade her appreciate the magnitude of theproblems associated with the managementof global animal genetic resources. She

would like to believe that her own country will benefit from the knowledgeand experience she has acquired duringher stay in Rome as a Visiting Scientist.Gertrude Aboagye also belongs to theGhana Society of Animal Production,Ghana Science Asssociation, Ghana AnimalScience Association, Women in Scienceand Technology, and the UniversityTeachers’ Association of Ghana.

This profile was excerpted with permission from an article on the Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations website.The article can be found at http://www.fao.org/NEWS/PROFILE/PF9801-e.htm

Gertrude S. Aboagye, a g r i c u l t u r i s t

W O M E N M A K I N G A D I F F E R E N C E :

Aboagye is firmly convinced thatimproving the genetic qualitiesand attributes of livestockbreeds is essential to increasinganimal productivity.

Photo © FAO

• twelve •

Preschool centers in poor areas of Chile have improved education and health for children from poor families.

Photo © UNESCO

• thirteen •

Community-run Preschools

in Rural Chile

This is an adage that exemplifies the suc-cess of the Centro de Estudios y Atenciónal Niño y a la Mujer (CEANIM) (Center forthe Study and Care of Children andWomen) in designing a self-sustainingpreschool program for the marginalizedfamilies in the barrios of Chile. In thepoor communities preschool educationand childcare development are rare, andgovernment-funded programs have limitedcapacity, and privately run programs areout of reach for the poblaciones (peopleon the outskirts). To help remedy thesituation, CEANIM developed a model toenable poor communities in Chile to runtheir own preschool centers.

The alternative, community-run preschool centers, known as CCAPs(Centro Comunitarios de AtenciónPreescolar), give children a good start in life by providing a stimulatingeducational environment and promoting

proper nutrition, measures that later help reduce failureand drop-out rates in elemen-tary school.

What guarantees such a successful education program?Mothers of the children become“community agents” in the

development, administration, andorganization of the centers. They havedirect involvement in teaching thechildren. The mothers attend workshopsto learn about socialization, health,hygiene, and nutrition. The centers area low-cost alternative for these mothers,who are required to give one period ofduty per week and bring in cleaningsupplies once a month.

Begun with support from the Inter-national Development Research Center,a public corporation created by theCanadian government to help communities in the developing world find solutions to social, economic, andenvironmental problems through research,CEANIM developed the model with a mission for expansion and self-sustenanceamong the CCAP communities. CEANIMoversees the operation of the centers in

three stages: during the first year, CEAN-IM establishes the center and ensures itsbasic functioning; during the second year,mothers and the community as a wholeteach at and run the center, in prepara-tion for operating the center themselves,with resources provided by CEANIM; andin the third stage, the center functionsautonomously, with occasional help fromCEANIM to solve specific problems.

In this way, the power ordinarily given toinstitutions to hold sway over people’slives is translated directly into empower-ment for the women of the Chilean bar -rios, significantly increasing their confi-dence and giving them skills as adminis-trators and educators. An evaluation ofthe program supported these facts, andindicated that the quality of the chil-dren’s education was improved whenmothers were involved. Studies alsoshowed that children’s verbal communica-tion and gross motor skills also improved.Children at these centers were well pre-pared to enter the formal school system.

Since 1979, CEANIM has established more than 21 preschool centers in poorareas in Chile, serving more than 10,000

children and 6800 mothers. Among theresults are improved education and healthfor children from poor families. One eval-uation revealed that more than 80% ofthe children fall within the“normal” range during testing for grossmotor skill development, nutrition, andschool attendance. These results comparefavorably with other studies indicatingthat 60% of rural children and 40% ofurban children who do not benefit frompreschool education fall into the “at risk”category when tested for the samefactors. Furthermore, it was found thatthe longer children participated in theCCAP program, the better the results.

Until 1995, the CCAP pro g ram wasf i na nc e d almost exclusively by interna-tional organizations. Since 1995,Fundación INTEGRA, a private sector organization lead by the wife of theChilean president, has gradually increasedits financial support and is now financing10 preschool centers. Eight more of the21 centers have established themselves asprivate operations within their communi-ties, independent of CEANIM, which is oneof the program’s stated objectives.

“Give a man a fish and he eatsfor a day; teach a man to fishand he eats for a lifetime.”

continued on next page

• fourteen •

An International Forum to Unite Women ScientistsThe Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS) is an independent,nonprofit, and non-governmental body based at the offices of the Third WorldAcademy of Sciences (TWAS) in Trieste, Italy.

TWOWS emerged from a conference convened by TWAS and the CanadianInternational Development Agency in Trieste in early October 1988. Theconference, entitled “Conference on the Role of Women in the Developmentof Science and Technology in the Third World,” included as participants 218leading women scientists from 63 developing countries, who recommendedthat a study group be set up to explore the possibility of creating theorganization. TWOWS was officially launched in Cairo, Egypt, in February 1993 at its first General Assembly, and a constitution was adopted.

TWOWS is the first international forum to unite eminent women scientistsfrom the Southern Hemisphere. Its aims include: strengthening researchefforts and training opportunities of young women scientists working andliving in Third World countries and promoting the recognition of their scientific and technological successes; surveying and analyzing the status and prospects of women in science and technology in the Third World;improving access to educational and training opportunities for women in science and technology and promoting women’s participation in thedecision-making processes, both at national and international levels; increasing the scientific productivity and efficiency of women scientists in the Third World; promoting collaboration and communication among womenscientists and technologists in the Third World and with the international scientific community as a whole; and encouraging other international organizations to increase their activities concerned with promoting the role of women in science and technology in the Third World.

Full membership is open to women scientists and scientific institutions in the Southern Hemisphere. Currently, there are more than 2000 full individualand 29 full institutional members from 87 developing countries. Associatememberships are open to men and women from both the Northern and theSouthern Hemispheres.

For more information, e-mail twows@ictp.triest.it.

CEANIM has significantly influenced program development at both thestate-run La Junta Nacional de JardinesInfantiles (JUNJI) and its JardinesFamiliares program, which provides daycare for some 95,000 children, as well as at Fundaciun INTEGRA’s CentrosComunitarios Rurales, attended by approximately 50,000 children.

ContactDr. María Angélica Kotliarenco, Executive Director Centro de Estudios y Atencion del Niño y a la Mujer (CEANIM) Nueva de Bueras 180 Santiago, CHILE Tel: (56-2) 6330514 or 6380055 or 6321285 Fax: (56-2) 6383040 E-mail: ceanim@cmet.net

Adapted and reprinted with permissionfrom International DevelopmentResearch CentrePO Box 8500 Ottawa, ON K1G 3H9 Canada+1 (613) 236 6163 info@idrc.cahttp://www.idrc.ca/nayudamma/cameroon_86e.html

One of the goals of TWOWS is to work to strengthen research efforts of and training opportunites for young women scientists working and living in Third World countries.

Photo © FAO

Returning to the tiny seaside village of Chungungo(population 330) in northern Chile is quite often an emotional experience for Dr. Pilar Cereceda, researcherand geography professor at the University of Chile inSantiago.

When Cereceda first arrived to begin her research project, Chungungo was just one of hundreds of villagesin the region that had no local source of fresh water.The village sits in Chile’s north coastal desert, just southof the Atacama, the most arid desert in the world. Theinhabitants used to have water trucked in from 40 kilometers away, at a cost of US $8 per 1000 litres.The average family had only 14 litres a day and, duringdrier periods, just 3 litres. Now, thanks to the introduc-tion of an innovative fog-catchment system, the villagehas a fully functioning local water-supply system. Thechange is remarkable. Now that fresh water is more plen-tiful, local gardens burst with lettuce, tomatoes, beans,corn, even flowers. “When I visit, people stop me just toshow me the shower in their homes!” says Cereceda.

The “miracle” of clean fresh water for the residents ofChungungo came about through the introduction of largefog collectors: “a kind of volleyball net, which capturesthe fog [called camanchaca], typical of northern Chile,”explains Cereceda who, together with Dr. RobertSchemenauer of Environment Canada, has directed andadvised on the installation of these nets in other sites in Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and the Arabian Desert.

The process involves the installation of polypropylenemesh nets, 12 meters long and 4 meters high, situated

high in the mountains above the village. Fog, which is a regular phenomenon in the area, passes through themesh and leaves behind droplets that trickle down to a trough that carries the water to a storage tank in the village.

The 75 fog collectors built by the Chilean Forestry Service(CONAF) near Chungungo feature 3600 square meters ofmesh that, over the past 2 years, have captured an average of 10,000 litres of water daily. Chungungo hasgone from being a village barely able to scratch out anexistence to a prosperous community that even attractsholiday visitors. During the high season, the populationof Chungungo grows by over 500, with attendanteconomic benefits to the local community. New housesare springing up.

CONAF equipped one hectare with drip-irrigation systemsand handed out seeds, plants, and tools to begin farming in the area. The change in the population’sapproach to agriculture has been slow, mainly because for many years the migrant fishermen who live heretraveled constantly all over the Chilean coastline insearch of good fishing. But now, some families havestarted to obtain successful results from their gardens.Some women have also received help on how to clean and sell fish, thus increasing their income considerably.

There has been an extraordinary change of attitude in the people. “They realize that previously they had livedtotally abandoned and that now they have the right todemand help from the municipal and regional authorities.They have confidence and real expectations. After

• fifteen •

Pilar Cereceda, Clean, Fresh Water in Chile

continued on next page

W O M E N M A K I N G A D I F F E R E N C E :

Photo © FAO

• sixteen •

receiving water and now electricity from the NationalPower Network System, people are ready to install a television-signal repeater antenna, something theynever dreamed of before!”

Surprisingly, the idea of using fog collectors to providefresh drinking water is not new. While reviewing oldresearch studies, Cereceda and her colleagues discoveredthat, in 1960, University of Northern Antofogasta physi-cist Carlos Espinosa had built nets to capture fog water.His work, in turn, was based on even earlier studies inother countries. Physicist Espinosa encouraged Cerecedaand her team to continue this work. Together withanthropologist Horacio Larraín, the researchers weredetermined to put this idea into practice and spare thou-sands of people a lifestyle of poverty and illness causedby lack of water.

The experience gained during her work in northern Chilehelped Cereceda understand the importance of havingcommunity involvement early on in any research project.“In Chungungo, we did not do this at first. It was ourfirst experience; we were afraid of raising their hopes toohigh and then disappointing them. But when the commu-nity realized that we were trying to help them get water,we felt that they had come to understand that the waterwas for everyone and that it was an important resourcethey had to cherish and take care of. The participation ofthe community in learning to use water wisely and avoid-ing needless waste is obviously very important becausethe quantity of water collected is not limitless; it varieswith the weather conditions.”

Author of more than a dozen books, on such topics asChile’s geography, environmental risks, hydrography, andthe Chilean landscape, Professor Cereceda was awarded anEnvironmental Citation by the Canadian Meteorologicaland Oceanographic Society in 1993. She confesses thatmost fulfilling of all is “helping make possible the miracleof water, thus changing the quality of life of manyfamilies. Imagine what they feel like when, all of a sudden, they can take a shower in those desert areaswhere the summers are incredibly hot; what they feelwhen they cook their meals, clean their house, wash their clothes.”

In addition to her books, Professor Cereceda hasexplained her ideas and shared her knowledge on coastalfog as a hydrological resource and coastal fog applica-tions at numerous seminars and conferences around theworld: in Chile, China, Kenya, Morocco, the Philippines,and South Africa, among other places.

Conducting research in South America can be difficult.“We normally lack more advanced instruments. Fifteen totwenty people share one secretary and a messenger boy,and we end up doing everything ourselves: from goingout and buying pens and paper for the computer printer,to picking up deliveries at customs. But we have a great

strength: that of our students and assistants who, brimming with youthful enthusiasm, prod us to achieveever higher goals.”

Her teaching role gives her immense satisfaction. She enjoys going out to the hills with her students andteaching them geography on site. “It is during field workwhere you can really enjoy the phenomena that we teach.In class, all you have is a blackboard, a transparency, orslide projector, everything is static. In the countrysideyou feel, you see, and you hear the phenomenon ofnature. There you can talk, argue; you don’t teach, youlive the moment, and you share the natural event. Whenthat happens, it’s not the teacher who teaches, but thestudents and nature who teach the professor.”

Pilar Cereceda has converted her experience into numer-ous slide shows and television films. She has also taughtenvironmental protection and Chilean geography on thetelevision education system, TELEDUC. In Chile, her project is acclaimed as “the first project from a Chileanuniversity to be exported to other countries and benefitpeople throughout the world.”

This article is based on a profile of Pilar Cereceda thatwas originally published in 1995 in the IDRC publication

entitled “In Person: Profiles of Researchers in the Africa,Asia, and the Americas.” Material from this publication is reproduced here with the kind permission of Canada’sInternational Development Research Centre.

Photo © FAO

• seventeen•

Solar Cookers International (SCI) has beensponsoring extensive solar cooking work inKenyan refugee camps. More than 15,000families have attended workshops andreturned home with their own solar cooker.Thanks to a new cooker design, it costsonly US $10 to supply each of these fami-lies with a solar cooker, a black pot, a sup-ply of trial food, and instruction on how touse their new cooker. Follow-up visits haverevealed a high level of use. Families reportnow that they no longer have to trade theirscarce rations for firewood in order to havea way to cook the food that’s left.

The Solar Cooking Project staff in Kakuma 1refugee camp in northeastern Kenya con-sists of 32 trainers, three monitors, andone supervisor—refugees all. They are paida small “incentive” or stipend in exchangefor serving as the eyes, ears, hands, hearts,and minds of solar cooking promotion in the camp. In addition to training new solarcooks and distributing appropriate suppliesand Cookits, the trainers also conduct follow-up visits to the homes of new solarcooks and lead follow-up meetings of each

group of new trainees to provide additionaltips, answer questions, and promote jointproblem solving and recipe sharing.

The monitors coach the trainers, assist intrainings and group meetings, and are incharge of issuing and re-ordering supplies.The supervisor solves problems for the staffand keeps the project running in coordina-tion with the camp management, LutheranWorld Federation.

The staff makes replacement cooking bagsavailable to those who need them and hasrecently begun to teach methods forreusing worn bags by converting them intomats, baskets, sturdy tote bags, ropes,traditional pot hangers (to keep food supplies out of the reach of rats), fans,and miscellaneous containers. A sleepingmat, larger and more comfortable thanstandard camp issue, has also beendesigned. Staff members also create newrecipes to share with the community.

Although some project staff had never helda pencil before becoming trainers, theyhave learned to keep written records of

trainings, home visits, and group meetings.They have also been trained in observingand recording usage of solar cookers.

As teachers, neighbors, and camp residents,the Solar Cooker Project staff members aresteeped in knowledge of camp life, theneeds of the people, and the importance of solar cooking in their lives. Staff

observations and suggestions are crucial to guiding policy as the project continues to mature.

According to their observations, people aregaining definite benefits from solar cook-ing, but in many cases use of the cookers

Solar Energy inRefugee Camps

Solar cooking in a refugee camp.

continued on next page

• eighteen •

is still spotty. The solar cooking benefitsbeing realized include:

◆ fewer children or cooks gettingburned

◆ solar cooking saves time to be spenton other useful activities

◆ solar cooks save on firewood, most ofwhich is obtained by bartering theirfood ration, so more food is available

◆ food does not burn or stick to thepot, so people can eat all the food

◆ girls’ work loads are lessened and theycan go to school

◆ smaller families reap the maximumbenefit, since they get smaller fire-wood rations

◆ fewer waterborne diseases

◆ tastier foods with all the vitamins

◆ less air pollution in compounds andshelters

◆ fences are not being destroyed in thehunt for firewood

◆ solar Cookits are portable and theenergy used is free

Despite the refugee population’s growingexperience with these solar cooking ben-efits, old habits die hard, and wood isstill commonly used. Low sales ofreplacement bags indicate that mostfamilies are not making maximum usageof their cookers yet. The project staff

sympathize with the people who say theycan’t afford to buy new bags.

The staff reports that some families saythat their Cookits or pots have beenstolen, while others say their Cookitshave been damaged by rain. Staff alsoreports that some families only use thecookers when firewood rations run out,while other families don’t solar cook atall (but use the training-provided potover a fire). The general staff observationis that those families who do use theirCookits frequently gain the most benefits.

To boost usage, the trainers brainstormedideas for activities they can pursue:

◆ setting a good example by regularlyusing their Cookits

◆ demonstrating new recipes to interested families

◆ discussing the advantages of solar cooking at every opportunity

◆ promoting solar cooking throughsongs and dramatic skits

◆ sparking questions and dialogue by dressing in their project uniforms

◆ always carrying replacement cookingbags for those wanting to buy

The project staff is also involved in suchongoing and sensitive issues as the long-term, local sustainability of solar cookingin Kakuma. That is why they have

learned to make Solar Cookits by gluingreflective paper to cardboard. They haverecommended that families wanting asecond or third CooKit should also maketheir own, as a way both of “sharingproject costs” with SCI’s donors and oftransforming the refugees from recipientsof charity to true owners of a technologythat is integrated with their culturalskills. In addition, they have suggestedthat families earn replacement cookerswhen their old CooKits wear out by work-ing on project activities such as paintingpots and gluing reflectors.

Truly, the refugees who work as the SolarCooker Project staff are the bridgebetween SCI and lasting solar cookingbenefits in the lives of the refugees.It represents a low-tech application ofsolar technology that can be most usefulin developing countries where most ofthe energy is used for cooking.

This story was based on articles in theSolar Cooking Archives (http://solarcook-ing.org/), and reprinted with permissionof Solar Cookers International. For moreinformation contact:

Solar Cookers International1919 21st St., Suite 101 Sacramento, CA 95814 USATel: 916-455-4499Fax: 916-455-4498Email: sbci@igc.org

In developing countries, the traditionalwood-fueled cookstove is at the heartof many rural households. However,constant exposure to excessive amountsof smoke can cause serious eye andlung diseases. With solar cooking,fewer children or cooks get burned.

• nineteen •

Since touring the poverty of the PeruvianSierra as a child, microbiologist PalmiraVentosilla has felt compelled to helpimprove the living conditions of thedisenfranchised people of her country.In the neotropical town of Salitral, whereVentosilla has concentrated her efforts,the weather alternates between very drywinters and very humid rainy seasons,during which ponds form everywhere andact as breeding grounds for Anophelesmosquitoes. Over the years, local inhabitants have learned to live with thedebilitating effects of the malaria (fever,chills, nausea, and muscle pain carried bythese mosquitoes). But since the appear-ance of Falciparum malaria, chancesincreased that they would die of it. Yet the local people cling to two juxtaposing worlds that create constanthealth risks: valued traditional folk medicine and the national governmentthat seeks to eliminate the mosquitoes by using harsh man-made chemicals.

Ventosilla and her team of researchers discovered a naturally occurring bacteriumthat is harmless to humans and animals,but kills Anopheles larvae. Though commercially available, the bacterium is expensive for developing countries.Ventosilla’s team found an inexpensiveway to develop the bacterium by growingit in coconuts and releasing it into pondswhere mosquito larvae flourish.

The research was a success; the task oflocal community implementation was achallenge. Local people were suspicious of a “biological” grassroots approach andtheir responsibility to see to its success in the midst of daily, basic tasks of self-survival. But while the adults in Salitralwere skeptical, their children were eagerto learn and participate. An educationalmethod developed by one of Ventosilla’scolleagues provided the children withclear information about the malaria, mos-quito breeding cycles, and production ofthe bacterium. Three other members ofthe team worked on a series of informa-tion sessions designed to reach the adult population. They had to convince thecommunity of the potential harm, both to human beings and to the environment,of many chemical pesticides used by government employees. They had to offsetdeeply rooted prejudices and assumptions.

Ventosilla’s colleagues efforts were so successful that the children proved to be brilliant teachers. After learning thetechnique, they took it home to teachtheir parents and relatives everythingthey learned. They showed their parentsthat the method is inexpensive, veryeffective, and not time consuming.Eventually, parents began to pitch in and help.

Several short educational videos weremade. (This in itself proved to be a

challenge, as the local people did not liketo be filmed.) People began questioningtheir old methods. Once the entirecommunity was reached, all three majorschools of Salitral made room in their curriculum for the special biology coursethe program created.

While Ventosilla and her colleagues ultimately received the support of theministries of health and education; theyfound the teachers the most receptive.

Ventosilla knows it is unrealistic to expectto wipe out malaria completely from hercountry, because of the prevailing climateand terrain. But she is convinced that iflocal families are able to kill the mosqui-toes in their backyard, the chances ofthem or their families contracting malariabecome slimmer. And if their neighbors dothe same, the probability keeps gettingsmaller and smaller.

This article is based on a profile of PalmiraVentosilla that was originally published in1995 in the IDRC publication entitled “In Person: Profiles of Researchers in theAfrica, Asia, and the Americas.” Materialfrom this publication is reproduced herewith the kind permission of Canada’sInternational Development Research Centre.

P a l m i r a Ventosilla, microbiologist

W O M E N MA K I N G A D I F F E R E N C E :

…microbiologistPalmira Ventosilla has felt compelled tohelp improve the living conditions ofthe disenfranchisedpeople of her country.

• twenty •

Women, Agriculture, and the Environment

In many households, women managethose components of the farming system that contain high levels ofdiversity, such as home gardens.Women’s home gardens are often informal “experimental stations” inwhich they transfer, encourage andtend indigenous species. Home gardensalso often provide vegetables and fruitsthat are the main source of vitaminsand minerals essential to a healthyfamily diet. (Source: FAO)

Photos © FAO

Since the beginning of the 20th centuryroughly 75 percent of the geneticdiversity among agricultural crops hasbeen lost. Faced with the traditionalresponsibility of caring for one’s familyand making universal, practical use ofresources, women are naturally at anadvantage in their knowledge of thevalue and use of genetic resources forfood and production.

In sub-Saharan Africa, women cultivateas many as 120 different plants in thespaces alongside men’s cash crops.In the Andean regions of Bolivia,Colombia, and Peru, women develop andmaintain the seed banks on which foodproduction depends. In Rwanda, womenare the traditional farmers of beans,known as the ”meat” of the countryside,which provide one-quarter of the caloriesand almost half the protein that people consume.

Traditional women’s gardens are modelsof sustainable land use. Women are likelyto rely on perennial rather than annualvegetation and fertilize with mulch,manure, and crop residues. These kindsof home gardens provide sustainedyields, yet cause minimal environmentaldamage over time. A study in Nigeriafound that women who grow intensivehome gardens may cultivate 18 to 57

plant species, including tubers, legumes,grains, and fruit-trees, in addition toraising dwarf goats and poultry. Mixedfarming using crops and livestock is frequently the most sustainable form of agriculture.

Soil conservation planners have begunto recognize the value of local knowl-edge, particularly that of women.Projects are using low-cost techniquesadapted to local conditions. For example,an agro-forestry project in Yatenga,Burkina Faso, relies on the harvestingof scant rainfall to keep fields and cropsmoist throughout the growing season. It has successfully combined a tradition-al technique of collecting water in smallpits spaced across fields with theconstruction of rock banks followingthe shallow-sloping field contours—and much of the bank building is doneby women. Crops in these fields can nowsurvive up to two weeks of drought, producing larger and more reliable yields.

Yet the journey is not yet finishe d. Whilew o men are in the majority in pro v id i ngt he world’s agric u l t u ral labor, only 15 p e rc e nt of the world’s ex t e ns ion age nt sa re women. And the laborers the mselves receive only 5 perc e nt of all ex t e ns ion s e r v ic e s.

• twenty-one •

Electricity in the Pacific The experience of the NGO, APACE in theSolomon Islands, demonstrates the waysin which women prioritize the applicationof technology within their communities.APACE is involved in setting up hydro-electric generators in the Solomon Islandsand has consulted women, who regularlycite electricity as one of their develop-ment priorities, in the implementation of the project. The women were jointlyresponsible for the generator’s upkeepand, it has been said by project participants, were more insistent aboutmaintaining the machinery and settingaside the appropriate funds for this pur-pose. Once the generator was installed,

decisions had to be made concerning thedistribution of the rather limited electrici-ty in the village. Women indicatedthat their preference was for lighting inthe communal kitchen. The new lightsources in the communal kitchens thenenabled women to produce foods andsnacks for sale. With additional incomeand the means to expand their electricitysource, it was debated as to what shouldnext be electrified.

The women decided that the communitywould best be served by putting up lightson a boardwalk near the ocean where theyoung people congregate. There had been

a troubling out-migration of the youth tothe more exciting cities. The provision oflight for nighttime social activities helpedkeep the youth in the village and retainthe social fabric and economic stabilityof the community. Women recognized theneed for social interaction, sports, villagemeetings, and so on, and saw electricityas a means of providing these activities.

In another village where decisions had to be made on spending additional incomeearned from a fishing project, the menwanted to spend the money on biggerboats and bigger motors. However, in discussions with the men, women made

it clear that their priority for the commu-nity was electricity. They were interestedin improving the quality of life in thecommunity and enabling the children to do their homework in the evenings.

This article was reprinted with permissionfrom Women Making a Difference in Scienceand Technology: Case Studies, published byUNIFEM. The full text of the publicationcan be found at http://www.unifem.undp.org/wmdst/

Science Theatre in South AfricaScience Theatre is a creative initiative inSouth Africa aimed at bringing more girls and women into science and exploring theissue of gender in science and technology.Organized by a man and two w o men fro mt he University of Stellenbosch and SouthAfrican Women in Science and Engineering(SAWISE), the program uses interactivetheatre to educate and engage children.The children are brought into MadameTrussaud’s Museum of the Future wherefour women scientists are depicted. An

absent minded curator guides them ontheir tour but frequently gets facts wrong.When this occurs the women scientistscome to life to correct him and engage indiscussions with the children. The womenask them what the world is like in thepresent, including what are the roles of women in science. Students areencouraged to ask questions.

The second part of the program investi-gated gender stereotypes. The setting is

a kitchen where traditional roles areplayed out by a fictional family. The chil-dren play, the mother cooks, and thefather returns home from work. A facilita-tor then stops the action and reversesthe gender roles. Done in a humorousfashion, the acting leads to a discussionon possible solutions, collaboration andsharing of tasks and alternatives to fixedgender roles. Hung as a backdrop areposters of women scientists in SouthAfrica for students to observe during the

performance. They are also referred to inthe performance. Pamphlets on university science programs are also handed out at the end of the performance.

This article was reprinted with permissionfrom Women Making a Difference in Scienceand Technology: Case Studies, published byUNIFEM. The full text of the publicationcan be found at http://www.unifem.undp.org/wmdst/

• twenty-two •

A facet of science and technology that has growingimplications for women is the intellectual property rightsregime. Women are frequently the custodians of biodiver-sity, have extensive knowledge of plants and animals, andmanage natural resources and health care. It is oftenwomen who cultivate the crops and utilize the traditionalmedicinal knowledge. Yet their knowledge, which hasbeen freely obtained, developed, and shared for centuries, is being increasingly threatened by westerncompanies and the intellectual property rights regimewhich dictates that communal knowledge, and oftenforms of life, be privatized and owned. This privatizationof women’s knowledge often comes without adequatecompensation to the women.

Furthermore, it can result in women being robbed oftheir ability to provide for their families and for theirown livelihoods. Moreover, the proliferation of patentingby western corporations means that capital will flow inthe form of fees from the south to the north.

As women are largely responsible for household food supply, health care, and other reproductive activities, andare engaged in numerous productive activities, they havea considerable interest in the issue of intellectual proper-ty rights. As such, they have been at the forefront inchallenging an unfair intellectual property rights regimeand particular claims. At the Fourth World Conference onWomen, 118 indigenous groups from 27 countries signeda declaration demanding a stop to the patenting of life

forms. They have also been active in challenging thetrade-related intellectual property rights establishedunder the World Trade Organization.

A prime example of women’s advocacy efforts is thechallenge to the patent of the Neem tree. The Neem tree is used in India for a variety of purposes, includingas a contraceptive, a pesticide, a fuel source and anastringent. Its properties and applications have been documented in India for centuries in ancient texts.Women use it in many of their daily activities. Indiadid not patent the Neem tree as it is a product ofnature and a common resource.

A US-based company realized that there was money to be made in the Neem tree and patented a method forits extraction.There was an enormous outcry against thepatent and hundreds of organizations, including notablewomen activists and women’s organizations, have challenged it in a variety of fora. For many women, theNeem tree patent has become a symbol of resistance.

The Maori women of Aotearoa, New Zealand play a key role in the conservation of their community’s naturalresources and in preserving their traditional culture inthe face of globalization. One example of how they aredoing this is in challenging patents by foreign corpora-tions on their resources and traditional knowledge.In the 1980s when the Maori were establishing an ethno-botanical garden, they discovered that traditionalstrains of a sweet potato that were once grown by theMaori could no longer be found. Upon learning of thisproject, a research institute in Japan contacted the groupto tell them that they had the seed in their possession.Getting no assistance from the government, the Maoriwomen had to travel to Japan to bring back the seed and plant it again.

This incident and concern over the TRIPS (Trade RelatedIntellectual Property Rights) agreement in the WorldTrade Organization led to the filing of a claim by Maoriwomen with the Waitangi Tribunal. This tribunal wasestablished through a treaty in 1840 that gave theBritish settlement rights in exchange for the respect

Women and IntellectualProperty Rights

As women are largely responsi-ble for household food supply,health care, and other repro-

ductive activities and areengaged

in numerous productive activi-ties, they have a considerable

interest in the issue of

• twenty-three •

of the natural rights of the Maori, as original occupants ofAotearoa, New Zealand. Article 2 of this treaty ensures“...the full exercise and undisturbed possession of theirlands and estates, forests, fisheries, and other propertieswhich they may collectively or individually possess…” Theclaim argues a breach of Article 2 of the treaty and is crit-ical of the consultation process and laws regarding intel-lectual property rights and the expropriation of indigenousknowledge. While a hearing has commenced, a judgementhas yet to be reached.

The Maori women feel that the government has failed totake into account traditional ownership rights, which, ifprotected, would prevent this expropriation. Their loss oftribal ownership over culturally valued flora and fauna hasundermined Maori authority and guardianship overnatural resources. In light of this, we must find a way toprotect intellectural property rights regarding indigenousknowledge while at the same time promoting research andeconomic development that benefits traditional cultures.

This article was reprinted with permission from WomenMaking a Difference in Science and Technology: CaseStudies, published by UNIFEM. The full text of the publication can be found at http://www.unifem.undp.org/wmdst/

School children in Cuzco, Peru demonstrate in favor of education.

Photo © UNESCO

GoalsIn keeping with the recommendations of the 1999 UN World Conferenceon Science, our mission is to:

◆ Support efforts to diversify and to develop leadership within theglobal engineering and science workforce;

◆ Increase the participation and role of women in policy anddecision-making in science, math, engineering, and technology(SMET) worldwide;

◆ Encourage people from disadvantaged groups within developingand developed countries to pursue research careers in SMET.

Strategic Goals◆ Establish worldwide collaborations with higher education institu-

tions, corporations, nongovernmental organizations and govern-ments in order to support efforts to diversify the SMET workforce;

◆ Facilitate the development of long-term, sustainable infrastructures with a diverse SMET workforce;

◆ Develop and expand higher education SMET curricula andresources, taking into account gender and cultural diversity;

◆ Develop common standards for data collection and conductingresearch on diversity in the SMET workforce;

◆ Provide short courses in management and development ofdiversity programs in universities and corporations;

◆ Build technical human capital in developing nations by providingcooperative education opportunities;

◆ Showcase women scientists & engineers whose research relates to global science and technology issues;

◆ Provide research & educational collaborations for the next generation of internationally-oriented leaders;

◆ Indentify and disseminate the latest best practice information ondiversity measures worldwide.

• twenty-four •

About Global AllianceThe Global Alliance for Diversifying the Science and Engineering Workforce is a collaborative initiative of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); Women in Engineering Programs & Advocates Network (WEPAN); and theAssociation for Women in Science (AWIS).

The Secretariat is located at AAAS, 1200 New York Avenue in Washington,DC. In the future, the Secretariat will have several international and regional offices.

It has a virtual location with a virtual address and global linkages with higher education, corporations and governments worldwide at www.globalalliancesmet.org.

An organizationof

organizations inpartnership to

Improve access to technology that develops economic resources for women

Highlight the importance of women’s traditional technical knowledge and protect women’s rights to the wealth derived from that knowledge

Provide access to employment in new technologies

Ensure equal access to quality education and training for girls and women that includes basic education in science and technology

Build up and maintain support system to encourage access to higher education in scientific and technical fields for women

Provide access to modern, safe healthcare for all women and children

Support research that improves quality of life for women and girls

Promote corrective and preventive strategies for reducing death and disabilities associated with childbirth

Support public health research that can pose effective solutions for ending violence against women

Use modern technology to determine movement of refugees so that aid can be targeted

Utilize technology to provide early warning of conflict.

Promote entrepreneurship by women using new technologies

Utilize economic research to determine market trends that give women access to markets

Promote women’s access to decision-making positions influence development choices especially around issue that affect energy, food security, use of natural resources, and education.

Collect gender disaggregated data to determine differential impact

Use gender analysis and indicators in policy formulation

Document abuses against women utilizing modern forensic techniques

Disseminate information on new technologies and their role in such documentation to support prosecution of abuses

Disseminate information that can help change the perception of women’s roles in relation to science and technology

Ensure that women are provided equal access to the Internet and other communication technologies

Use the Internet as a tool for education and training

Support women’s roles in the preservation of biodiversity

Encourage participation of women in practices and decisionmaking involving sanitation, water use, and land use patterns.

Support basic education of girls in science and technology, including access to computers

Provide girls with information about their biology to counteract myths of their inferiority

Linking Science and Technology

Poverty

Education andTraining

Health

Violence

Armed Conflict

Economy

Decision-making

InstitutionalMechanism

Human Rights

Media

EnvironmentThe Girl-Child

AcknowlegdementsWe would like to express our appreciation to Martha Krebs, former Director of the Office of Science, Department of Energy and Antoinette Grayson Joseph,Director, Office of Laboratory Policy

Thanks also goes to the Office of Science, Department of Energy for their support of this publication.

This booklet was developed for the Global

Alliance for Diversifying the Science and

Engineering Workforce by the American

Association for the Advancement of Science

with support from the United States

Department of Energy, Office of Science.