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.
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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
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