Unit 5: Tools for mainstreaming gender concerns
References
Technology
Appleton H. 1995. Do it Herself: Women and Technical Innovation. London: Intermediate Technology Publications.
ILO Library: 96A1414
LABORDOC: 269535
This publication is based on 22 case studies of technical innovation by women in 16 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Ilkkaracan I. and H. Appleton. 1995. Women’s Roles in Technical Innovation. London: Intermediate Technology Development Group
ENTMAN: 95TE1703
LABORDOC: 263838
Mitter, Swasti. 1997. "Innovations in work organization and technology." In Eugenia Date-Bah, ed., Promoting Gender Equality at Work: Turning Vision into Reality. London and New York: Zed Books Ltd.
The impact of current changes in work organization and technology on women’s employment has not yet received much focus in research. This paper is one of the few efforts undertaken in this area. It focuses first on the just-in-time (JIT) model which stresses quality, lean management, flexibility and "quick response". In terms of JIT, costs are reduced by working with a network of subcontractors, mainly small-scale units in which women tend to be engaged. This trend is occurring not only in the manufacturing sector but also in services within the context on new information technology and telecommunications. Such subcontracting or "production decentralization" to small business units has generally provided employment opportunities for women. However, some conditions of work, such as pay, occupational health and safety and social protection tend to be unfavorable. One of the features of the external side (subcontracting) of JIT is offshore decentralized work, especially of information-intensive jobs, such as offshore data processing, currently found in several relatively poor countries. Mitter points to differences between the working conditions of offshore and onshore data processing workers in terms of status and occupational health and safety. JIT is also associated with changes in the internal organization, such as "streamlining of work". It stresses total quality control and, therefore, a team approach to work and multiskilling. The impact of internal JIT on women has not yet been widely examined. Mitter therefore points to this as a future area of work.
The second half of the paper examines the issue of new technologies, mainly biotechnology and computer technology, and their implications for women’s employment. Women’s employment prospects with biotechnology are observed to depend on the extent to which they are able to acquire the new technical skills required. With computer technologies the impact has been "complex". In some areas it has reduced work opportunities, especially for those with few skills. On the basis of data assembled in the paper, a case can be made that concern for gender equality in employment should also involve assessment of the gender differential impact of changing work organization and the introduction of new technologies.
Whitehead, A. 1981. A conceptual framework for the analysis of the effects of technological change on rural women. WEP Working Paper 79. Geneva: ILO.