ICT and Women Empowerment: A case study on small scale service providers

Dr. Seemin Rubab

Senior Lecturer, Physics, NIT Srinagar

drseeminrubab@gmail.com

Introduction

These days the term information and communication technology (ICT) has come to mean all technical means used to handle information and aid communication, including computer and network hardware as well as necessary software. Among other things, ICT has opened vistas for small scale enterprise. In fact ICT could be of immense help in self employment and empowerment of women. Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social or economic strength of individuals and communities. It often involves the empowered developing confidence in their own capacities. Women's ability to take advantage of ICTs is however dependent on education, conducive policies and an enabling environment in their regions to extend communications infrastructure to them. Examples of ICT impacting women include Health awareness through telemedicine, Networking of women professionals, Running small enterprises from home etc. It can be helpful in setting SOHO (Small Office/Home office) business in areas such as patenting, proof reading of books and journals, DTP jobs, free lance journalism, science communication, personalised tuition, clinical pathology jobs, scientific toys and model making, catering, boutique and tailoring,  beautician, henna artist, masseuse etc. All these jobs/services could be run from home using a cell phone or Personal computer (PC) and internet connection. Local cable or internet can be used to advertise and market their product and services. This study deals with potential of ICT in enhancing the income of semi skilled and moderately skilled women.

SOHO Business opportunities for women

Small office home office (SOHO) concept is picking up among women.  They prefer SOHO to spend more time with their families and to enjoy greater flexibility. It is also advantageous for women as there is no glass ceiling to limit their growth.  Many SOHO opportunities exist for women in Kashmir. Several opportunities have been tapped while other may be realized in future.

Government of India is also doing its bit in promoting self employment opportunities for women. ‘Internship for self employment’ Program of Department of science and Technology (DST) is one such  initiative on Government’s part in helping women empowerment through ICT. Internship scheme has been designed for providing opportunities to women scientists and technologists who desire to return to mainstream science after a career break. It mainly concerns with utilization of expertise of women scientists in areas such as patenting, proof reading for science books and journals, technical writing and technical translation, science journalism, medical transcription, clinical pathology jobs etc. The trained interns can form professional network. There is a special drive for promoting women in the field of Intellectual Property Rights.  Depending upon requirement these women trained in patenting may be assigned jobs on contractual basis. They can run their own office from home. The scheme is being coordinated and implemented by Patent Facilitating Centre (PFC) of Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) on behalf of DST. The selection of the candidates is done by an all India Examination. The fellowship examination is held every year in February at four centres namely Delhi, Pune, Kharagpur and Chennai. The interns undergo training with a suitable stipend for a period of one year.

Creative women scientists may plunge into the field of science communication after going through some distance or online training. Expertise of female science communicators may be used in producing exhibition modules in several areas including history of science, low cost experimentation, science -technology - society issues, gender issues, health education, mathematics and astronomy. Women scientists/technologists can even start an enterprise in science toys and model making. There is a big market for science model/toys in India. Nobody has tapped this potential as yet. They can advertise and market their product through internet. Websites like www.sci-toys.com and arvindguptatoys.com will be helpful in getting started.

One emerging use of internet technology is coming up in personalized tuition. A group of tutors in various subjects may form a professional organization and can operate through web. One such professional network is Tutor vista. Certified tutors of tutor vista earn Rs 15,000-20,000 per month.  They are trained in using ICT specially the technology of tele-conferencing. For start ups it is better to join as tutor in an existing network, gain experience and start their own local network. The infrastructure required for this type of venture is a PC and a reliable internet connection. Additional hardware may be required for tele-conferencing.

Small scale service providers in Kashmir

Many semi skilled women in Kashmir run their business from home and advertise through word of mouth. Satisfied clients recommend their services to other prospective clients. Many small scale service providers such as beautician, make up and Henna artist, tailor, baby sitter, doula, contractual domestic help, tiffin providers etc. operate in this way. A beautician on call does not need to hire a parlour space and pay electricity and water charges.  This way they cut on their cost and optimize their gain.  She may attend clients in a given locality on same day to cut on her travel time and cost. Their services are a boon for working women. Generally working women have paucity of time. They do not have time for skin care, pedicure or manicure. They may call the beautician at home and get the needful done.

The other emerging opportunities exist for tailoring and contractual domestic help services. In Kashmir due to weather conditions, lots of upholstery, curtains and quilts are required. With the advent of winter most of households want to get the covers of quilts, mattresses and blankets get stitched. During winters woollen curtains are also required. These things are best stitched at home to get the perfect fit. Few enterprising female tailors have started providing their services at the client’s home at the call of phone.  

Kashmiri marriages are a fortnightly affair. There are several steps involved and it takes 10-15 days of celebration. The family needs help of contractual domestic help to entertain guests. Many domestic help provide their services on contractual basis on the occasion of marriage, child birth, Hajj departure etc.  

Due to urbanization and other reasons joint families are giving ways to nuclear family. More often in such families women are also engaged in regular jobs. During pregnancy and child birth such woman need emotional, psychological and physical support. In developed countries and in Indian metros services of Doula are available for such purposes. Doulas are trained as child birth educator.  They are however not supposed to perform clinical duties. Many Doula offer phone and email support as well as prenatal and postpartum visits to ensure the mother is informed and supported. A postpartum doula provides support to the mother and family following the birth. This may include breastfeeding support, newborn care assistance, cooking, light housekeeping and errands. She offers education, companionship and support following the birth. She also provides evidence-based information on emotional and physical recovery from birth, infant feeding, infant soothing and coping skills for new parents.

Impact of ICT on Business

Before the advent of cell phone technology, the small scale service providers were underemployed most of the time. During an informal interview a beautician revealed that her income has enhanced by (30-40) % after using a cellphone. On a good day she may make around Rs. 1000. They Henna and makeup artists may carry a portfolio of their designs in cell phone and offer them to their prospective clients to choose from. The business of these small scale service providers can improve a lot if they form a network and use mass media such as local cable network to advertise for their services along with their contact information.

Requisite Intervention

The small scale service providers may be trained in using ICT and networking. They may be helped in advertising of their services.  The may be trained in using internet and opening their website. Makeup and Henna artists, tailors etc. may be trained in making their profiles on cell phone or laptops. Training of Doula is conducted in Indian Metros like Mumbai and Bengaluru by Indian Chapter of Childbirth and Post-partum Professional Association (CAPPA). Local chapters of CAPPA may be opened for training and networking of Doulas.  

References

Seemin Rubab ’Women in Science, Engineering and Technology: Challenges and Opportunities’ Proceedings of  National conference on socio-economic development: Challenges before Women scientists, Technologists  and Engineers held during Feb 13-15, 2009 at NIT Rourkela.

S. Mukhopadhya and VB Kamble  (2006) Information and Communication Technology and Gender, Vigyan Prasar, NOIDA

Sugra Chunawala (2003) Gender and Science, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Mumbai

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doula

http://www.dst.gov.in

  

A Tribute to Women in Science

Dr. Seemin Rubab

AP, Physics, NIT Srinagar

drseeminrubab@gmail.com

Many women have contributed  toward the growth and development of science from the time immemorial.  Hypatia, Hildegard, Maria Sybellia, Madame du Chatlet, Sophie Germain, Agnesi  and others contributed immensely to science but many a times clandestinely.   Almost all of the above mentioned women were self taught.  Sophie Germain had to submit her work at Ecole Polytechnique under a male student’s name. It was however Madam Curie who changed the rule. She defied all norms and won two Nobel prizes in Physics and Chemistry. In doing so she inspired a whole lot of future women scientists and engineers. Her daughter Irene Curie-Joliot was also a Nobel laureate. Her grand-daughter Helene –Joliot-langevin is also a top physicist. India post honoured her by issuing a stamp in 1968 at her birth centenary. The stamp also shows radium treatment. She is also on the FDC of cancer awareness stamp.

Maria Montessori was trained as physician. She was the first female doctor of Italy. She then acquired degrees in psychology, anthropology and philosophy. She was the pioneer of Montessori-method of education. The basis of Montessori-method is that a child learns on its own and the teacher is only the facilitator of education.  Dr. Maria came to India in 1939 on the invitation of Theosophical society of India and remained here for ten years. She conducted Montessori training courses in India. India post honoured her by issuing a stamp in 1970 at her birth centenary.

Ida Scudder was another physician who made India her home.  She was a graduate from Cornell Medical College and her batch was the first when women were allowed admission. She started a dispensary and clinic for women in Vellore. Then she started Christian Medical College for women in Vellore in 1918. In 1945 the college was opened to men as well. A stamp issued on August 12, 2000 as part of centenary celebrations of Christian Medical College depicts the college chapel. The First-day cover portrays Dr Ida Scudder.

When we highlight contribution of women in science we generally fail to include the contributions of nurses and paramedical staff.  Nurses constitute a strong scientific and technical work force in health sector.  India post has not issued any commemorative stamp on nurses but nurses do feature on children day stamp and red-cross society stamp.

Indian Women in Aviation was the highlight of the philatelic release in 1998. The stamp was brought out to commemorate the contribution of Indian women in the realm of aviation. The concept by designer J.P. Irani has symbolically presented young women as commercial pilot, flier of IAF planes, and as an astronaut. Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian American astronaut and was the mission specialist on the space shuttle STS-87. She died on the return journey of the space shuttle Columbia.  She had conducted experiments on microgravity. She is portrayed on the stamp of Palau with other crew members.

An ode to unsung indigenous women scientists and technologists

Dr. Seemin Rubab

AP, Physics, NIT Srinagar              

drseeminrubab@gmail.com

Introduction

Since time immemorial humans have tried to understand their environment and solve problems of daily life using science and technology. Women have contributed in many ways to the technical advancement of humanity by tool making and farming.  Women possess indigenous technical knowledge and practice science and technology in their everyday lives. It is however a pity that the technologies which are of practical use in the household are excluded from recognition. It is largely due to the non-existence of a formal scientific base and the narrow and flawed view of technology as an application of scientific knowledge. Women have always been associated with child rearing and house- keeping. Therefore, the techniques developed by women for the efficient utilization of products that ensure the family's survival are not recognized as technologies, and as such, they are devalued. Traditional technologies practised by women are not formally documented, while new innovations, which are supported by mass propaganda, are placed in the hands of men. Circumstances have enabled women to develop technologies for processing food to ensure household food supplies in the event of any contingencies. Midwifery and nutrition are among few other areas in which women excel but they are not acclaimed or valued as science.

Women, agriculture and food processing

Many archaeologists credit the discovery of agriculture to women. In all hunting gathering societies food gathering is done by women. Due to this reason women were more likely to observe plant behaviour. By trial and error they could have made this crucial discovery. In pre historic times, to a large extent farming was carried out by women. They used digging sticks and hoe for farming. With the invention of plough the agriculture passed slowly from women into the hands of men.  Over the period women became marginalised in agriculture and left to do the back biting work of transplantation and plucking. In present day rural societies, women are still in charge of kitchen gardens. Women specialize in food security, diversity and nutritional bio-security. Men believe in farming for cash whereas women grow fruits and vegetables to ensure nutritional bio- security and variety at household level. Moreover women process fruits and vegetables available in one season to be used in lean season. This technology benefits household in many ways. One of the benefits of indigenous food processing technology is that it can be practiced in the home to make best use of available resources. Due credits must be given to the practice of open sun drying of vegetables by Kashmiri women in summer. These dried vegetables known as ‘Hokh Seun’ in local parlance provides assortment and nutritional security in harsh winter months. Fruits and vegetables are home processed to make Jams and pickles. Homemakers also process milk to obtain cottage cheese, butter and curd which have longer shelf life, better nutritional values and provide range in food value. Every woman is an expert in kitchen thermodynamics and heat transfer which she has learnt by practice and experience. Due credits should be given to grandmothers and great grand mothers who wrap the pots  full of cooked rice with blankets to ensure that it remains hot at time of consumption. Warm milk is mixed with right amount of culture to prepare yoghurt. The temperature is maintained to ensure proper reaction. Grandmothers can give flawless demonstrations on centrifugal force while making butter although she may not know Newton or kinematics.  

Women and Health

When we highlight contribution of women in science we generally fail to include and acknowledge the contributions of nurses and midwives. In all times, nurses and midwives constitute a strong scientific and technical work force in health sector. In ancient Egypt, midwifery was a recognized female occupation. Midwifery in Greco-Roman antiquity covered a wide range of women, including old women who continued folk medical traditions in the villages of the Roman Empire, trained midwives who garnered their knowledge from a variety of sources, and highly trained women who were considered female physicians. Early Chinese and Indian writings also mentioned midwives. Throughout the Middle Ages, midwives relied on a variety of herbs and potions, which are seen as the forerunner of present-day medicine. Women have indigenous knowledge about medicinal plants, herbs and spices. Many common ailments are treated at home using kitchen condiments. Hildegard of Bingen, Germany was well known for her healing powers involving practical application of tinctures, herbs, and precious stones. Hildegard also wrote   about the need to boil water as early as in twelfth centaury in her medicinal texts.

Women and Apparel Technology

Early women have developed pins, fasteners, buttons, beads  and  sewing needles etc. with bones antlers and wood to stitch clothing. Stitching preceded spinning and weaving. Initially apparels were made from hide and grass. The first sewing needles were made from bone and were used to sew animal hides together. The most ancient sewing needles, which date back to 28,000 BC, did not have an eye but a split end which gripped the thread to be sewn.  Raffia, gut or sinew were improvised as threads. Native Americans used porcupine quills and the pointed end of agave leaves for sewing needles. The fibers of the agave leaf were also used for thread. The agave leaf would be soaked for an extended period of time, leaving a pulp, long, stringy fibers and a sharp tip connecting the ends of the fibers. The "needle" is essentially the tip end of the leaf. Once the fibers dried, the fibers and "needle" could then be used to sew together skins and other items used in a cloth-like manner. Shoemakers used needles made from hog bristles in the Middle Ages. While acknowledging Elias Howe and Singer for designing sewing machines those unsung women inventors of pre history may also be remembered.

The spindle for twisting fibre into thread and loom for weaving thread into cloth are in use from neo- lithic period. Spindles and spinning are also an integral part to the mythology and folklore of many cultures. All over the world rural women still use spindle and hand loom. The women in north east use hand loom and weave beautiful Phaneks (long skirt), half sarees, bed sheets etc. at home. They sell them in the women market.

Women and Environmental Sustainability                

Women particularly those living in rural areas or mountain areas have special relationship with the environment.  The life of mountain women is so much intertwined with the environment that whole ecosystem revolves around her and she can't even think of her survival without it. Mountain women depend on forests for fuel, fodder, water and minor forest products. Women have always been the principal conservers of bio-diversity. Even today they perform duties such as seed selection, multiplication and conservation. In comparison men tend to destroy nature to earn cash. Women give greater priority to protection of and improving the capacity of nature, maintaining farming lands, and caring for nature and environment's future. This is why women are affected differently than men by environmental degradation, deforestation and pollution. Women are often the most directly affected by environmental issues, so they become more concerned about environmental problems. One of the first environmentalist movements which were inspired by women was the Chipko movement (chipko in Hindi means ‘to stick’). The movement was an act of defiance against the state government's permission given to a corporation for commercial logging. Women of the villages resisted, embracing trees to prevent their felling to safeguard their lifestyles which were dependent on the forests.

The other notable environmental movement initiated by women of Africa is Green Belt Movement. Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai founded this movement on the World Environment Day in June 1977. The beginning was modest: a few women planted seven trees in Maathai's backyard. By 2005, 30 million trees had been planted by participants in the Green Belt movement on public and private lands. One of the most remarkable environmentalists is Rachel Carson. Her book ‘Silent Springs’ which documents the impact of Pesticide on Marine life continues to inspire fresh generation of ecologists.

Intervention and Success Stories

The technologies which are appropriate for women and environment include, improved cook stove, pressure cooker, solar cooker, solar water heater, solar drier and biogas technology. The women should be trained in designing and dissemination of these technologies. An intervention of this kind has been initiated at several places and there are few success stories to emulate.

The bare foot engineers from TILLONIA Women’s group not only install, maintain and repair but also manufacture parabolic solar cookers with confidence. At Bahai women’s group from Madhya Pradesh women are manufacturing and selling solar cookers. Brahmakumaris use concentrated parabolic solar cookers in the kitchen at their Om Shanti Retreat Centre, where food is cooked for 1000 persons daily. They also run 200 KW solar powered plant which takes care of their lighting requirements. These are mainly managed by women.

An important innovation for the construction of bio gas plants, using bamboo reinforced cement mortar (BMRC) had been experimented and field tested jointly by WAFD (Women’s Action for Development) and INSEDA (Integrated Sustainable Energy and Ecological Development Association). The use of bamboo baskets had brought down the price of this biogas plant. It also ensures the participation of women in the weaving of bamboo structures for constructing this model.

.

Concluding Remarks

There is a stereo type that women are not technologists and that they are not capable of building, operating and maintaining sophisticated technologies. Women’s indigenous technology innovations, often highly sophisticated, have not been considered as real “science”. It is high time that the perception about women, science and technology should be changed. The indigenous technologies practiced by women should be recognised, valued and documented.  Technology does not only mean designing new machines, it also means adapting them to the context of use. Many women are the users and adaptors of technology. When women are included in development process of science and technology,  science will become more vibrant, interesting and eco friendly.  For example it is difficult to illustrate or demonstrate hyperbolic surfaces. Daina Taimina  a Latvian mathematician crochets objects to illustrate hyperbolic space. Realising the difficulty in threading a sewing needle, the spiral eye, side threading needle is invented by Pam Turner. Maria Telkes designed a solar passive house using phase change materials which keeps the house warm in winter without using fuels. These are just a few success stories, if women are included in the scientific process many more success stories will follow.

References

Anoja Wickramasinghe (1993) ‘Women and indigenous technology’ Canadian Women Studies, Vol 13, No 2

Seemin Rubab (2008) Women in Science, Engineering and Technology: Challenges and Opportunities’ Proceedings of National conference on socio-economic development: Challenges before Women scientists, Technologists and Engineers held during Feb 13-15, 2009 at NIT Rourkela.

Seemin Rubab  (2010) ‘ICT and Women Empowerment: A case study on small scale service providers’ in a seminar on ‘Women in changing scenario’ at Government College of Education, on 8.3.2010.

S. Mukhopadhya and VB Kamble (2006) Information and Communication Technology and Gender, Vigyan Prasar, NOIDA

Sugra Chunawala (2003) Gender and Science, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Mumbai

Sugra Chunawala et al (2002) The roots of reason: Science and technology in the ancient world, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Mumbai