Women's Time, Labour-Saving Devices and Rural Development in Africa

Barrett, Hazel R.; Browne, Angela W.

AfricaBib

bibliographic database
Line

New search

The free AfricaBib App for Android is available here

Periodical article

Leiden University catalogue

WorldCat

Title:	Women's Time, Labour-Saving Devices and Rural Development in Africa
Authors:	Barrett, Hazel R. Browne, Angela W.
Year:	1994
Periodical:	The Community Development Journal: An International Journal for Community Workers
Volume:	29
Issue:	3
Pages:	203-214
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Gambia
Subjects:	rural development women grain processing Cultural Roles Labor and Employment Development and Technology agriculture Sex Roles
External link:	http://search.proquest.com/pao/docview/1304157498
Abstract:	All approaches to rural development in Africa implicitly require more responsibility and input from women. As a result women's workloads in rural areas have increased dramatically. One of the most time and energy-consuming tasks performed by women is the preparation of grain. Using The Gambia as an example, this study investigates the results of the introduction of village cereal mills for the lives of women and their communities. The paper concentrates on women's access to the technology, the time and energy this saves, its sustainablity and women's level of control. It is found that cereal mills make a significant positive impact on women's welfare by alleviating their workloads. This is achieved more by the saving of energy than the gaining of time. In terms of equity, the mills are an essential first step to raising labour productivity for women. Labour-saving technologies could contribute to poverty alleviation by releasing women's time for more profitable activities such as trading or cash crop production. The efficiency approach requires women to have 'spare' time in which to participate in community projects. However, women's full participation in the development process is still constrained in The Gambia by insufficient attention to women's varied roles. Bibliogr., sum.