While working with innovative technologies that were not yet gender-stereotyped, TIDE took a conscious approach to involve women in various stages of the technology, right from production to marketing and dissemination. It helped that most of these technologies accomplished one or more of the following :

• Improve their quality of life
• Reduced drudgery
• Saved time
• Secure livelihoods

But our learning is that Technology is only one aspect of a rural woman’s journey towards entrepreneurship. To initiate rural women into any livelihood, a series of activities around improving their confidence and creating a supportive family and community environment has to be done. TIDE conducts awareness and sensitization sessions for the entire community and gives importance to soft skill building for the women along with technical skills. This approach has resulted in TIDE trained entrepreneurs achieve social and economic empowerment.

Through our women entrepreneurs in the production and marketing of innovative products/technologies, we have demonstrated how technology can change gender roles. TIDE has established a Women’s Technology Park (WTP) with support from the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India and uses this centre as an incubation centre for women’s enterprises. WTP is a 2-acre campus with infrastructure to do awareness and training. The technologies available at WTP are:

• Solar cum biomass drying of horticultural produce
• Eco-friendly products from areca leaf sheaths
• Value-added products from millets
• Green House and shade net nursery
• Vermi Composting
• Smokeless stove construction
• Brick making