Gender-Sensitive Labor-Saving Technologies & Practices

This DRC-based learning study was designed to drive greater understanding of whether the gender-sensitive labor-saving technologies and practices (GSLSTP) promoted by the Budikadidi project results in time savings and impacted gendered roles and responsibilities.

Between 2017 and 2023, a CRS-led consortium implemented the USAID-funded Budikadidi Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA) in the DRC’s Kasaï Oriental Province to sustainably improve household nutrition, food security, and economic well-being. To reduce the inequitable amount of time and effort women invested in both productive and reproductive labor, the project introduced four GSLSTP. When properly planned and integrated as part of a holistic approach, GSLSTP can improve well-being and nutrition. As Budikadidi close-out approached, the project team questioned whether these intended outcomes were being achieved, or whether uptake of GSLSTP was driven by agricultural efficiencies. This study explored these questions, looking at the gendered impact of permagardening in particular.