Labor-Saving Technologies: Reducing women's workload and shifting gender norms in Ghana

This 4-page brief summarizes CRS-Ghana's “Empowerment through Innovation Project”, that piloted 4 labor-saving technologies (cookstoves, seed dibblers, water carts and treadle water pumps) with members of established SILC groups from January-September 2021 in 10 communities. Less than 4 months after introducing the technologies, CRS observed high rates of adoption of most of the piloted technologies. Women were more emphatic about the water carts and fuel-efficient  cookstoves, which they typically use throughout the day. The pilot showed slower adoption of the dibbler, a technology that  is used during a specific season each year. To learn more about the approach this project took to select and test the technologies with women, the group management of selected technologies, results and lessons learned, take a few minutes to read the 4-page brief.