Latin America and Caribbean / Amérique latine et Caraïbes
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Item Tackling Meningitis in Africa(2012)Since the late 1990s, governments of Brazil and Cuba have been promoting scientific interaction emphasizing South-South collaborations. The Brazil-Cuba vaccine targeted the meningitis strain in Africa when vaccination stocks ran low, and subsequently the two organizations developped an inexpensive health product accessible also to the local populations. The Brazil-Cuba meningitis project was not their only collaboration to have benefited a third party. They are now jointly promoting health and development in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake and will construct hospitals, support immunization programs, and strengthen laboratories for disease surveillance in Haiti.Item Darshna Mahila Kalyan Samiti (DMKS) : case study(Development Alternatives, New Delhi, IN, 2011) Development AlternativesThe Darshna Mahila Kalyan Samiti (DMKS) started a training programme for master masons in Bamari Village, Chattarpur district, under the Poorest Area Civil Society Programme (PACs). They also mobilized women to take up training in constructing habitat products such as roofing tiles, fencing poles and cement pots. Since agricultural labour is seasonal and rarely meets their basic needs, the work provides a regular income throughout the year. DMKS staff say the women are more efficient in marketing and sales than their male counterparts, are extremely aware of the rates, and never get fleeced. Limited supply of electricity is a major problem.Item Mutually reinforcing role of women in habitat based livelihood services : researching the case of India(Development Alternatives, New Delhi, IN, 2011) Niazi, Zeenat; Srivastava, Alka; Chopra, VrindaRural women working as skilled workers in the habitat and construction sector are a relatively new phenomenon. This report provides details of the project which included organisations: The Barefoot College, The Jeevapoorna Women Masons Society (JEEWOMS), SEWA Nirman, Tilothu Mahila Mandal (TMM), Darshna Mahila Kalyan Samiti (DMKS), Costford and Archana Women’s Society. Women tend to work within their local communities, contributing to local economic development. Analysis of the local situation in Kerala indicates that women masons are able to bridge the gap left by male masons who migrate to the gulf for construction work.Item Tilothu Mahila Mandal – Nirmiti Kendra : case study(Development Alternatives, New Delhi, IN, 2011) Development AlternativesThe Tilothu Mahila Mandal (TMM) runs a school, college, hospital, and several micro-entrepreneurship initiatives. Among the entrepreneurship models is the building centre, the TMM Nimriti Kendra where both men and women are trained together, leading and working on several habitat and construction jobs. The centre has trained over 120 women from Tilothu and neighbouring villages. Women working in the centre feel there is no difference in the quality or quantity of their work when compared to men. They do feel that men tend to quarrel a lot amongst themselves, which in turn affects the general morale of all the workers.Item Jeevapoorna Women Masons Society (JEEWOMS) : case study(Development Alternatives, New Delhi, IN, 2011) Development AlternativesMany women masons take up work in construction due to dire need, as their husbands are unsupportive or missing altogether. The Jeevapoorna Women Masons Society trains women in masonry. Initially they were taught latrine construction, then cement block making, and then house construction. 1300 women have been trained in the Thrissur district. The major innovative approach of the society was the recognition of men and women as equals. Due to an increase in the women masons’ incomes, their children are not forced into labour and can go to school. Another by-product of the training is an enhanced level of confidence.Item Barefoot College : case study(Development Alternatives, New Delhi, IN, 2011) Development AlternativesTraining has been provided in habitat services to 15,000 women in solar engineering, mechanical repair and fabrication (such as hand pump mechanics), solar cooker engineering, and masonry. Women generally work in groups, which helps them support each other. Men are included in courses, but once skilled tend to migrate to cities. Support from the women’s husbands and family is mostly in the form of allowing them to do the work without neglecting household chores. Women show immense capability and determination to learn; they realize the importance of quality, and their work is often superior to men’s production. Corruption at governance levels is a continuing problem.Item Exploring the Potential of Rural Women in Habitat Services, 13th May 2011, Willow Room, Habitat Centre, New Delhi(Development Alternatives, New Delhi, IN, 2011) Development AlternativesThis brief describes objectives of Development Alternatives (DA) to highlight the potential innovation and contributions of women to habitat services and the construction sector. The workshop aims to share the findings of the study on women as skilled workers and arrive at consensus on a dissemination strategy for influencing future policy. It is part of the larger project “Mutually Reinforcing Role of Women in Livelihood Services: Researching the case of India.”Item Gender and Innovation Knowledge and Communication Platform (GIKCP) : final technical report(Society for Development Alternatives, New Delhi, IN, 2011) Banerjee, Mitu; Nandy, Priyanka; Roy, PriyankaA key objective of the Gender and Innovation platform is to disseminate knowledge on the subject of innovation by and for women. It captures research on, and examples of, innovative activities whose relevance is determined through evaluations of their impact, outreach, and range of potential effects. This report outlines themes developed from the platform such as science and technology; basic needs; livelihoods; entrepreneurship; media and culture. It also reports on the web portal design and implementation, as well as the Gender and Innovation Newsletter, “Imagine.”Item Rural women in habitat services : exploring case of India, 2009-2011(2011)Engagement of women in the development and delivery of habitat products and the construction sector can lead to tremendous benefits. The survey results are presented to show the Role of Women in Habitat-based Livelihood Services: technology development, delivery and application. Women clearly benefitted from initiatives that promote working in the sector in terms of increased incomes, standards of living, and higher levels of self esteem. The presentation is derived from the larger project “Mutually Reinforcing Role of Women in Livelihood Services: Researching the case of India.”Item Rural women in habitat services : a policy brief(Development Alternatives, New Delhi, IN, 2011) Development AlternativesDue to Gendered Identities and lack of requisite opportunities the level of sustained participation of women as skilled labour in habitat services is limited. With construction being the next biggest employer in the country after Agriculture, and women making up the major chunk of unskilled workers in the sector, steps need to be taken to realise their potential and contribution to habitat services and up-grade their skills to make them competitive in the market thereby increasing their levels of empowerment and participation.Item Improving innovation promoting methodologies by including gender perspective to foster women’s participation in decision making processes(2010) Antezana, IvonneThe Papa Andina project fosters novel approaches combining collective action and innovation processes; it aims to provide equal opportunities for men and women to access the benefits generated by innovations. One of the main reasons for the unequal participation of women are methodologies and approaches used by research and development organisations that do not include gender specific tools to encourage women’s participation in decision-making.Item Preserving biodiversity of Andean roots and tubers : working with women(2012) Cadima, Ximena; Terrazas, Franz; Salazar, Magaly; Calderón, Rayne; Antezana, lvonneThe strategy was based on the development of social and economic incentives for in situ conservation of the agrobiodiversity, in micro-centres with high biodiversity. Rural women played a key role in this process. Activities were implemented in 3 Bolivian zones where approximately 700 families have benefitted from PROINPA’s (Fundación para la Promoción e Investigación de Productos Andinos) activities. The poster provides graphic information about the project. Rural women appear to have more knowledge than men regarding agrobiodiversity, and more incentive to try innovative practices.Item Fortalecimiento del enfoque de género y empoderamiento en el Enfoque Participativo en Cadenas Productivas (EPCP), plataformas de concertación y evaluación horizontal : guía de pautas(Centro Internacional de la Papa (CIP), Lima, PE, 2010) Aviles, Denis; Antezana, Ivonne; Salazar, Magaly; Yumisaca, Fausto; Fonseca, CristinaItem Gender relationships in production and commercialization of potato seed with small-scale farmers in the Central Andes of Ecuador(2010) Conlago, María; Montesdeoca, Fabián; Mayorga, Magdalena; Yumisaca, Fausto; Antezana, Ivonne; Andrade-Piedra, JorgeA rural participatory approach including gender considerations was applied in this project “CONPAPA/Consorcio de la Papa” to improve relationships between seed system participants. Women are a critical component of seed systems and production. This one-page review provides some recommendations.Item Preserving biodiversity of Andean roots and tubers : working with women(2010) Cadima, Ximena; Terrazas, Franz; Salazar, Magaly; Calderón, Rayne; Antezana, IvonnePROINPA, CIP-Papa Andina Initiative, and the Bolivian Ministry of Agriculture have worked together in promoting women's participation in producers' associations. Those associations try to increase their member’s income through the use and promotion of the biodiversity of Andean roots and tubers, highlighting their nutritional and medicinal properties. Traditional knowledge, especially from women, in relation to the different uses of roots and tubers such as achira (Canna edulis) and arracacha (Arracacia xanthrorriza) was combined with new information on additional uses of such products. Results were presented at several food fairs and other events, thus disseminating the knowledge to other communities. The project has contributed not only to increase the income of the whole family, but in particular to increase women’s income since they were the ones commercializing the products. It has also contributed to improve women’s social capital including self esteem and increased recognition from other community members.Item Gender relationships in production and commercialization of potato seed with small-scale farmers in the Central Andes of Ecuador(2010) Conlago, María; Montesdeoca, Fabián; Mayorga, Magdalena; Yumisaca, Fausto; Antezana, Ivonne; Andrade-Piedra, JorgeA gender analysis was conducted in the central Andes of Ecuador with the following objectives (i) to identify and analyze gender relationships and benefits in potato seed producers of the farmers’ organization CONPAPA (Consorcio de la Papa) and (ii) to propose recommendations to improve the relationships among the actors of CONPAPA’s seed system. A rural participatory diagnostic with gender approach was used to gather information about general characteristics, participation in community activities, potato-related activities, decision making, and personal, family and unpaid activities. This method promoted reflection among farmers about their roles according to gender. Main conclusions were the following: first, women are a critical component for seed production in CONPAPA; second, women are being empowered by becoming part of CONPAPA seed producers groups; third, becoming part of the CONPAPA seed producers groups might be overloading women capacity; and fourth, men are still attending the most important events and are in charge of taking the most important decisions. Several recommendations were made. (i) take extra care on using training materials adapted for women and doing the training events in their native language; (ii) promote women access not only to knowledge, but also to other resources, mainly credit, so they can run their own businesses; (iii) practice affirmative action and promote women leadership; (iv) be aware that new activities could be overloading women capacity and, therefore, start the intervention with few and simple activities; and (v) make explicit the contribution made by women to specific activities.