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CETED-Womens’ Centre : The AB Model in Gender
Centre for Technology and Development (CETED)- Womens’ Centre
India

The Problem

The situation before launching the project CETED Women’s Centre, was characterized by the glaring mismatch between technology generation and dissemination for the benefit of the poor. With 30% of India’s population living below the poverty line, cost-effective technology emerged as the potential solution to their problems, especially in housing, agriculture and healthcare.
There was gross inadequacy of a delivery system for dissemination of technology from lab to land.
CETED was established in 1991 , there was no coordinated leadership for the transfer of technology for sustainable development
There was also no fruitful endeavor to ensure gender mainstreaming in technology transfer for development without deprivation
Women were marginalized and kept at the periphery of developmental activities in India,. Science and Technology was confined to the laboratories with no effective steps taken for its dissemination among the people. Women’s Self Help groups were virtually unheard of and their empowerment was a distant dream.
In a tradition bound society orthodoxies and unscientific practices led to low productivity in agriculture. In healthcare quacks and selfstyled doctors held sway over the rural folk though modern medicine and indigenous medicine was available near at hand. In housing the exploitative contracting system had propogated high cost building materials and construction techniques.
Women were kept within their hearth and home denying them access to the fruits of science.
There was a paucity of science communication channels in India. Only a privileged few among the elite had access to the fruits of science and technology. The efforts were tardy in contextualizing scientific data and knowledge into the needs of every day life. Though the Governmnet of India had set up the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), its activities were confined to the mass communication media and the national education system leaving out a large section of the rural people who were illiterate or semi-literate. Scientific literature in the vernacular was not sufficiently produced and there was little or no effort for distributing the scarcely available materials among the people. Localised organizations for the diffusion of science and popularization of scientific literature were very few in number.
There was inadequate awareness about environmental conservation and there was exploitation of the natural resources by unscrupulous elements. Healthcare facilities were grossly inadequate and a large part of the rural people depended on unscientific and crude methods of treatment.
There was no effective machinery in the field to equip people with the tools of science to tackle the issues of development .

Solution and Key Benefits

 What is the initiative about? (the solution)
CETED Womens’ centre focuses on the involvement of women in technology transfer for human development. It has emerged as a model delivery system at the grassroot level for the transfer of technology from ‘lab to land’.

CETED’s modus operandy is development of CEEF technology products and processes and mounting advocacy functions for their acceptance. It promotes eco-friendly options in housing, agriculture, water management, health and food, transportation, industry, tourism and other related spheres through its integrating units in the non government and governmental sectors.


The achievements of the project include


40% cost reduction in construction of houses, containing of exploitative contracting system in housing, and imparting regular training to women in CEEF technology


Government has modified policies, and industry its processes, media their preferences, and planners their priorities favouring CEEF technology.


Through awareness generation and capacity building, the public are oriented to environment friendly living through organic farming, community health care, disease prevention.


Publications in the vernacular on eco-friendly technology and awareness generation campaigns among women and youth undertaken regularly.


Research is carried out in developing traditional knowledge and heritage science which suit the way of living ideal to the region.


The CETED network has been able to propagate appropriate technology in agriculture housing, healthcare, food processing, and water management for the last 20 years through appropriate delivery systems.
Institutional mechanism for training of trainers established in all districts. 213,000 artisans have been trained in low cost building construction alone.
Capacity building has been undertaken in women and their empowerment made effective by establishing women’s centres at the rural, regional and state level.

Eco-friendly technology which was confined to research institutions is steadily flowing to the field. A new generation has been groomed up who are oriented towards an environment friendly way of life, minimizing chemicals and energy intensive industrial products. Health care has improved through nature friendly medication and curative approaches. The message of CEEF technology accepted by all stakeholders like government, municipalities, industry, research institutions and the public. Over a period of 20 years the CETED’s mission has proved its sustainability and replicability.

CETED women centres provided support for stainable employment for women through a variety of action oriented projects which employ women in large numbers.

Womens’ centre supports women by providing a comprehensive package of inputs with special focus on training for skill up-gradation, marketing and credit linkages to ensure sustainable employment.

The sequence of activities envisaged under the programme is to mobilize women into viable groups, improve their skills,arrange for productive assets/access to wage employment, create backward and forward linkages, provide access to credit, arrange for support services and awareness generation, gender sensitization, etc.
The impact was evaluated by the Institute of Habitat Education.

Actors and Stakeholders

 Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
Solution to the problem was generated from within CETED, especially by the women volunteers. Technology was developed mostly by Govt.’s Science & Technology institutions in their research laboratories. The concept was developed by the civil servant, Dr C V Ananda Bose, as a viable development model.
Technical assistance was received from the premier research institutions in India such as the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Regional Research Laboratories, Indian Institutes of Technology, Birla Institute of Technology and Science – Pilani, Department of Science and Technology, Central Building Research Institute – Roorkie. Technical support received relate to low cost housing, bio-faming, alternate energy, sanitation, water conservation, carbon sequestration, food processing, waste water management.
CETED has been undertaking human resource development programmes since its inception. CETED’s trainers and community volunteers offer the bulk of the required human resources. The integrating units utilise the services of their personnel for implementation of the projects directly executed by them. The networking women’s organisation provide adequate human resource at the field level. Trained volunteers from the science clubs of the colleges and schools are important human resource for technology transfer and science education.

National, provincial and local governments have facilitated this initiative through policy changes and legislative measures. The Government of India have amended the national building code to promote cost-effective building construction. The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has adopted the CEEF technology in its construction practices.
Incentives such as tax exemptions and rebates have been introduced for CEEF technology applications. Organic and bio farming are encouraged in the national policies of government of India and the Planning Commission has earmarked substantial funds to promote the same in the voluntary sector. Environmental Conservation Act has been suitably amended promoting CEEF strategies.
Legislations have been passed by the National Parliament and provincial assemblies preventing pollution and ensuring pollution control. Council for scientific and industrial research have given priority to develop and promote CEEF technologies for the benefit of the common man. Universities have changed their curriculum and introduced new courses for the promotion of CEEF technology. The Department of Science and technology of the Government of India and the provincial governments provide financial and technical support for the promotion of research in CEEF technology.
The major stakeholders include, apart from the regional and state level women centres, the building technology centres, Nirmithi Kendras, Dhanwantri Kendras, Annapoorna Society, Sanjeevani Kendras, local bodies, integrating units, Habitat –Environment,-Rural Development Societies and the CBO and the NGO partners.

(a) Strategies

 Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
 a.      What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
Objectives of CETED are
To disseminate cost-effective and appropriate technology in society.
To provide self-employment opportunities and develop entrepreneurship
To integrate like-minded institutions with the Centre so as to form an effective network.
To ensure active involvement of women so as to counter gender bias.
The strategy adopted for the achievement of the objectives was to network with reputed institutions which would serve as integrating units of CETED and disseminate appropriate technology at the field level.
Women’s centers were established to ensure active participation of women in technology transfer and income generation.
Specialised institutions (AB Model Hubs) were established to focus on specific areas of development . For example Building Tecnology Centres cater to low cost and environment friendly housing; Annapoorna Society to employment generation through preparation and distribution of food packets ; Sanjeevani Kendras for the propogation of indigenous medicines such as Ayurveda; Dhanwantri Kendras for employment generation by providing ancillary facilities such as home nurses, trained volunteers and trained bystanders in hospitals. To contain the price rice of essential commodities womens’ groups were encouraged by the cooperative major in India, NAFED, to undertake programmes like Farm Gate to Home Gate (Buying agriculture produce direct from the farms and selling it to the consumers avoiding middlemen), Easy market (distribution of essential commodities at less than the market price).
To expose the public and women in particular to the cultural greatness of the country ‘Peoples’ Museums’ were set up in schools and colleges through the National Museum of India.
The priorities of the project are the following:
1. Poverty alleviation and improvement of the quality of living.
2. Establishing appropriate delivery systems at the grassroot level for the transfer of appropriate technology.
3. Establishing dynamic partnership among government, non governmental organizations, R&D Institutions and industry for the development of eco-friendly and cost-effective products and processes.
Capacity building among the weaker sections of society, especially women.
The priorities were established after wide consultations among the stakeholders especially women’s organizations, youth organizations, educational institutions, research bodies, local authorities, provincial government and Community Based Organizations

(b) Implementation

 b.      What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
1991 - Building Technology Centre (BTC) registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act.
1993 - Launches training programme in appropriate technology
1996 Accredited to the United Nations as an NGO.
1998 - Joins network partners in initiating the ‘Indo-Swiss Habitat Project’ with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
1999 - Launches academic programmes with integrating units
Government of India grants FRCA registration empowering BTC to undertake externally aided projects.
2000 - Building Technology Centre expands its scope and is renamed Centre for Technology and Development (CETED)
Organises national campaign on ‘Safety Health and Environment’ involving Government, Industry and the Public.
Prepares a detailed project report for the Institute of Labour Studies and Management for the Government of Kerala.
2001 - Receives Bremen Partnership Award, Germany- UNEP sponsored for efficient use of natural resources
- Launches HR programme in IT enabled services for Government of India

2002 - Research on the impact of globalization on agricultural labour (for Government of India).
Research and study on affordable housing through technology transfer.

2003 - CETED - GNN Project Water Save – The AB model is chosen as finalist of the Energy Globe Award Linz, Austria.
2004 - CETED’s water conservation project selected finalist of the Whitley Award, U.K.
Finalist of ‘Bremen partnership Award’ ,Germany for the second time

2006 - CETED selected as ‘Global Best Practice’ by UN Habitat for transfer of technology for sustainable development.
2007 - CETED collaborates in the initiatives of the Department of Atomic Energy- AEES -for academic reforms in science education. Dean, CETED joins the Academic Reforms Committee.
CETED collaborates with AEES in launching the ‘National Initiative in Science Education (NISE)’
Networks R&D Institutions, Universities and industry to establish an Institute of Material Science
2009
2010 ‘Farm Gate to Home Gate’ launched under which women’s groups purchased agricultural products directly from the farmers and sold it to consumers avoiding middlemen and checking price rise
2012 CETED’s network, Habitat Alliance selected as ‘Global Best Practice’ by UN Habitat

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

 c.      What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
The major obstacles encountered are.
-Gross inadequacy of a delivery system for the dissemination of the technology from ‘lab to land’.
Attitudinal problems of a tradition bound society reluctant to accept the application of science and technology in its life style.
Glaring illiteracy, especially among women
Inadequacy of governmental policies and legislation.
Inadequate financial resources.
Inadequate media involvement in promoting a scientific approach in society.
Inadequacy of trained man power and human resource competencies.
-The problems were overcome in the following manner.
Institutions, CBOs and NGOs with strong moorings at the grass root level were networked to provide an effective delivery system for transfer of technology.
Awareness generation programmes were launched through women’s organizations, youth clubs, educational institutions, NGOs and CBOs.
Actively participated in the total literacy campaign and the literacy mission movement for the spread of literacy in the urban and rural areas, especially among women.
Mounted sustained advocacy campaigns in association with NGO partners and the media which lead to enabling policy changes and legislative measures.
Financial requirements were largely met through voluntary contributions and voluntary services backed up by proceeds from consultancy and project management, donations from philanthropic organizations and projectised financial support from Government and external funding agencies.
Media support was enlisted for social education.
Volunteers from among teachers, women, youth and NGOs were trained as trainers and deployed in the field.
-In spite of the steady progress made by CETED over the years, problems such as limitation of financial resources, inadequacy in the reach and spread of the campaign, attitudinal problems of a section of the people, regional variations in the acceptance rate of appropriate technology and exploitative commercial and market interests which push up high cost products, illiteracy and poverty still remain and are being addressed.
-CETED remains a facilitator and implementation of the project at every stage is done by the beneficiaries, NGOs and CBOs. Voluntarism and people’s participation are the keystones of the movement. Nattukkoottams (people’s committees) decide priorities and supervise implementation at the field level. Regular programmes like ‘file to field’, bring together, government and non governmental organizations and the beneficiaries to jointly plan and execute locally relevant programmes in CEEF technology.
-Periodic assessment is done through appropriate management information systems, social audit, peer level assessment, concurrent monitoring and evaluation by independent agencies and the government.


-To ensure that the development of women is sustainable and equitable CETED evolved suitable development models through decentralized planning, resource mapping, formation of neighborhood groups (Nattukoottams) and through timely advocacy functions . CETED joined hands with Govt. and the NGOs in the campaign for total literacy in the state of Kerala.

(d) Use of Resources

 d.      What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
Financial support for CETED came mostly from
1. Membership fee
2. Financial contribution from integrating units
3. Occasional government grants and project funding by donor agencies
4. Receipts from training programmes, workshops, seminars
5. Proceeds from books and publications
6. Charges levied for providing technology and technical advice
7. Consultancy charges
8. Donations from philanthropic organisations and benefactors
Technical assistance was received from the premier research institutions in India such as the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Regional Research Laboratories, Indian Institutes of Technology, Birla Institute of Technology and Science – Pilani, Department of Science and Technology, Central Building Research Institute – Roorkie. Technical support received relate to low cost housing, bio-faming, alternate energy, sanitation, water conservation, carbon sequestration, food processing, waste water management.
CETED has been undertaking human resource development programmes since its inception. CETED’s trainers and community volunteers offer the bulk of the required human resources. The integrating units utilise the services of their personnel for implementation of the projects directly executed by them. The networking women’s organisation provide adequate human resource at the field level. Trained volunteers from the science clubs of the colleges and schools are important human resource for technology transfer and science education.

In constructing houses using cost effective and environment friendly technology, financial support was mobilised from the schemes and projects of the Governmnet of India such as the Indira Awas Yojana, Rajiv one Million Housing Project, Voluntry Housing Scheme and the local programmes of the panchayat raj institutions.
In the middle income and higher income group housing the financial resource was provided by the house owners themselves, supported by bank finance.
With the support of the district administration financial and technical resources for a number of development initiative were pooled through conversions of the existing schemes such as NREGP, RLEGP, RKVY and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme.
Technical , financial and human resources were mobilised by CETED through effective network of various stakeholders, integrating units and the network partners

Sustainability and Transferability

  Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
The CETED network has been able to propagate appropriate technology in agriculture housing, healthcare, food processing, and water management for the last 20 years through appropriate delivery systems.
Institutional mechanism for training of trainers established in all districts particularly through the Building Centres. 213,000 artisans have been trained in low cost building construction alone.
Capacity building has been undertaken in women and their empowerment made effective by establishing women’s centres at the rural , regional and the state level through the Nirmithi Kendras.
Pro active steps taken to ensure environmental sustainability through legislative policy and regulatory measures by government, empowerment of communities to resist commercial interests from degrading the environment, environment education among women, manufacturing and distribution of environment-friendly materials and products and sector specific measures such as eco-friendly house construction, propagation of energy-efficient materials in place of energy intensive materials such as cement and steel, organic farming, methods and processes for carbon sequestration and management, social awareness and education.
Financial sustainability of the project has been achieved through community management and collection of user fee, for common services such as water supply. Voluntary participation and services of people, internal generation of surplus through optimal execution of projects, beneficiary participation in the decision-making processes and efficient financial management.
Aware of the fact that the introduction of alternative technology and practices would find acceptance only if it is in keeping with the cultural preferences of the people, CETED has dove tailed its activities with the thinking, customs and behavioural patterns of society. For this, selection of technology generated by R&D institutions is done locally in consultation with beneficiaries and community leaders. Nattukkoottams(people committees) have to endorse technology adoption before it is disseminated in the field.
Government’s initiatives in introducing the concept of appropriate technology through its agencies, policies and programmes and reorienting existing institutions conducive to the promotion of such technologies, coupled with the institutional network created with NGOs have made the movement institutionally sustainable
The CETED model has been replicated by more than 200 institutions which became integrated units of CETED for the propagation of science and technology in different spheres. These include universities, industrial units, R&D institutions and NGOs.
Joint research with CETED is undertaken by premier R&D institutions

Lessons Learned

 What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
The impact of CETED womens’ centre is manifest in the following specific areas :
A network of grassroot level institutions created to bring in development through the diffusion of science and technology
Awareness generation campaigns launched in Society
Women’s Self Help Groups (SHG) have come up in many parts of India based on the CETED initiative
Technology transfer has become a way of life in development concerns
At the outset CETED identified and showcased appropriate technology relevant to the locality.
The CETED network mounted advocacy functions which resulted in national and provincial governments initiating policy and legislative measures supporting the spread of cost effective technology.
The total literacy campaign and the literacy mission were successfully launched by government and NGOs together, with the active participation of CETED.
National, provincial and local governments have facilitated this initiative through policy changes and legislative measures
The Government of India have amended the national building code to promote cost-effective building construction.
The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has adopted the CEEF technology in its construction practices.
Monitary incentives such as tax exemptions and rebates have been introduced for CEEF technology applications.
Organic and bio farming are encouraged in the national policies of government of India
Environmental Conservation Act has been suitably amended promoting CEEF strategies.
Legislations have been passed by the National Parliament and provincial assemblies ensuring pollution control.
Govt. of India amended the Motor Vehicle Rules and the Pollution Control Rules to ensure world emission standards
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research have given priority to develop and promote CEEF technologies for the benefit of the common man.
Universities have changed their curriculum and introduced new courses for the promotion of CEEF technology.
The university grants commission has announced its policy to promote habitat and environment education at the university level.

The major lesson learned is that poverty and economic deprivation in India can be contained to a very large extent through judicious application of cost effective technology alternatives.
Lack of an effective delivery system for the transfer of technology is the most retarding factor in development.
In a tradition bound and convention ridden pluralistic society people’s involvement and social education should precede social and attitudinal changes.
No social movement can be built around governmental munificence but should generate its own internal strength for sustainability, be it financial or organisational.
Organisations and movements should be rooted in the felt needs of the community or the beneficiaries and cannot be imposed from outside.
Substantial changes in attitude can be brought about only by taking the women in confidence.
Technology transfer can be effective only if supported by enabling government policies, legislative measures and reorientation of governmental departments and agencies.
Spread of literacy is essential for the spread of scientific attitude transcending deep rooted superstitions.
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Contact Information

Institution Name:   Centre for Technology and Development (CETED)- Womens’ Centre
Institution Type:   Non-Governmental Organization  
Contact Person:   Lakshmi LS
Title:   L S Lakshmi  
Telephone/ Fax:   +919999144662
Institution's / Project's Website:   www.cvanandabose.org
E-mail:   lsceted@gmail.com  
Address:   Pala - F58, Panicker’s Lane, Sasthamangalam P.O. Trivandrum 695010, INDIA
Postal Code:   695010
City:   Trivandrum
State/Province:   Kerala
Country:   India

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