Abstract

ABSTRACT The paper focuses on the differential attributes of rural men and women in using indigenous technologies in farming and household activities. Data were collected by two trained interviewers from three agro-ecological zones of Bangladesh, namely, Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Comilla from 159 randomly selected households (48 male and 111 female) out of a total population of 1301 during 10 April to 02 October, 1996 through interview schedule. Selected parameters of the respondents such as their age, education, farming/household experience, and farm size were included in the schedule for measurement. In all 44 indigenous technologies were enlisted in the schedule. The indigenous technologies were identified through PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) prior to finalizing the schedule. Only the potential indigenous technologies were retained in the schedule. The findings reveal that a greater proportion of the rural women and men were illiterate and were in young and middle-aged categories, respectively, and had substantially high level of farming and household experience. The majority of the rural men belonged to the small farmer category, while most of the women were landless sharecroppers. Areas of use of indigenous technologies by the men and women showed marked differences. The men were mostly involved in using indigenous technologies in the field crops such as raising rice seedlings from the seed bed, sowing seeds in the fields, transplanting seedlings in the field, applying fertilizers in the field, inter-cultural operations in the field, and irrigating crop fields. On the other hand women were involved in using indigenous technologies in crops usually on the vegetables and fruits within and around homesteads.

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