Women traditionally cook and sew, weave and embroider in most rural areas of the country. But only at home. When it comes to money matters, most professional chefs, tailors and craftsmen are men. The idea that technology is not for women is strongly embedded in the collective consciousness worldwide. With the result that even when women take to production, their work is deemed unskilled, marginal and of low value. So any effort to empower women, especially in our increasingly techno-centric world order, must take into account efforts at breaking this formidable technology barrier. Do away with male hegemony in all areas of skilled production and commerce related activities. The Asia Pacific Center for Transfer of Technology (APCTT), under the aegis of the United Nations, attempts to do just that-demystify technology for women at grassroot levels by creating an interface between suppliers of technical information and rural women in particular, thus giving them their own voice.

And voice they do find. Consider this: A group of young women in coastal Kerala suddenly find themselves in a position of strength while bargaining for the `right matches' in their traditional society. The reason: They are professional boat-makers, having learnt the hitherto `unlady-like' carpentry skills courtesy an APCTT sponsored project. And, of course, the women don't seem to be complaining in the least. After all, they are equipped with a money-making skill that not only makes them potentially self-sufficient, but has also enhanced their value in the marriage market. Says Mukul Ahmad of the APCTT, ``Many girls have told us that they now have more of a say in deciding whether they want to marry a particular boy chosen by their families.'' And what's more, patriarchy seems to be listening.

The story is repeated in other spheres. A project involving the dissemination of post-cocoon technologies to a select group of women from Laos, Bangladesh and India (Assam and Manipur) was the centre's latest baby. The project, `Technology sharing among grass-root level women in tropical sericulture', was conduct- ed in conjunction with the Central Silk Technologies Research Institute, Bangalore, and it provided hands-on training to women reelers and weavers from the three participating countries. But why sericulture? According to the APCTT, "Sericulture is a labour intensive cottage industry with a capacity to generate high employment especially among the poor and deprived rural women, who can combine the production with their household responsibilities. Also, what makes the enterprise more suited to the profile of its targeted group is the fact that it does not need high initial investment.''

During the 10-day-long training programme at the research institute at Bangalore, which ended on August 9, easy-to-implement modifications were made in the existing system of reeling and weaving, as practised by the women. Besides, according to the APCTT, care was taken to impart `gender-sensitive' techniques. For instance, traditional weaving mechanisms in the three earmarked regions involve pitlooms, destructive to the women's health. The new methodology did away with these, making the whole exercise not just more women-friendly but also enabling an increase in the leisure time-hitherto a male prerogative-available to them.