Gendered Design in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Math)
This project will contribute to more inclusive technological designs in science, technology, engineering, the arts and math (STEAM) by building capacity in gendered innovations. Gendered innovations are new or improved products and processes designed using sex and gender analysis and that generate substantial benefits for society and advance gender equality.
Responding to gaps in gendered research and design, the project seeks to expand and enhance the community of experts and innovators in gendered innovation, particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs); develop gendered case studies and design projects that are driven by LMIC interests and researchers; and make gendered challenges in the design of technologies more visible to researchers, designers, and innovators, particularly in LMICs.
Carleton University, in close collaboration with multidisciplinary experts in Canada and LMICs, will manage and coordinate the primary activities: calls for case studies as well as prototype and process designs; the delivery of complementary training and mentoring; and knowledge synthesis. The calls will be open to a number of countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia and up to 30 small grants will support both face-to-face and virtual capacity-building activities. Outputs will include up to 20 case studies and 10 design prototypes, up to 60 graduate students trained, publications, and a public science portal of virtual/online exhibits.
The project will strengthen the community of scholars and innovators engaged in gendered innovation, leading to a new network, particularly in LMICs. The project is structured to foster mutual learning and long-lasting partnerships among institutions of higher learning in LMICs and Canada.
Project ID
108889
Project Status
Completed
End Date
Duration
36 months
IDRC Officer
Katie Bryant
Total Funding
CA$ 1,100,000.00
Location
South America
South Asia
South of Sahara
Programs
Institution Country
Canada
Institution
Carleton University
Institution Website
Institution Country
Canada
Project Leader
Bjarki Hallgrimsson
Institution
Carleton University
Institution Website
Outputs
| Gendered design in STEAM (GDS) - YouTube Website
Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in STEAM (GDS) Language: English |
| Gendered design in STEAM (GDS) website Website
Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in STEAM (GDS) Language: English |
Gendered Design in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) in lower- and middle-income countries (LMIC) Report
The Gendered Design in STEAM (GDS) research Program subsumed the approaches of design, arts, and social sciences to enhance gender aware and inclusive research amongst twenty academic teams of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) located in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The empirical exploration supported the emergence of a transdisciplinary area of research and practice which we defined as ‘gendered design’. The key factors that proved crucial to overcome the disciplinary boundaries and catalyse processes of empowerment were: theoretical and methodological openness, design-driven strategies, and experimentations, as well as a holistic and affective approach to collaborations and relationships. Author(s): Grace, Kerry, Hallgrimsson, Bjarki, Marshall, Dominique, Del Gaudio, Chiara Language: English |
Gendered design in STEAM - final technical report - appendix A Report
Author(s): Grace, Kerry, Hallgrimsson, Bjarki, Marshall, Dominique, Del Gaudio, Chiara Language: English |
Explorando las infraestructuras urbanas de cuidado para promover la autonomía de las mujeres en Argentina Material de formación
Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: Spanish |
Designing for support against workplace harassment for low income women in Pakistan Training Materials
The project aims to understand the potential of technology to provide women in Pakistan equitable access to employment opportunities and safe spaces for their narratives of workplace violence and harassment. The research team conducted a qualitative study of female factory workers in regions of Lahore and Faisalabad districts to understand their experiences of harassment and marginalization. Design methods were used to explore ways in which to support addressing their negative experience of harassment and abuse while allowing them to navigate patriarchal barriers to work. Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: English |
Improving the gendered design in housing and public spaces based on women’s experiences in Rwanda Training Materials
This project explored gendered design in housing and public spaces in Rwanda to identify gendered issues and suggest guidelines to make spaces more accessible for all genders. Data was collected through visits to different universities, institutions and public spaces and surveys given to policymakers and beneficiaries. A gender analysis tool helped to identify how gender can be implemented in the design of spaces and a report with guidelines was written. Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: English |
Design and construction of gender and eco-friendly fuel-less generator for female artisans in Nigeria Training Materials
African civilization has traditionally been patriarchal, and this male-centered inclination permeates all facets of daily life, including the way we think about product design. Most of the user’s centered design framework is very generic and lacks the inclusiveness that is expected to address specific related design issues. Gender-centered design, a particular user-centered design paradigm, has recently risen to the forefront of product thinking. This idea ensures that men and women receive the same benefits from policies and programs while preventing the continuation of inequality. The study used a descriptive and inferential statistical analysis for the questionnaire, and it used the House of Quality (HoQ) tool to map the engineering qualities with the Voice of Customer (VoC) that was retrieved from the participant’s recorded utterance. The HoQ was later used to explore the design of a fuel-less generator prototype. Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: English |
Improving transportation systems for women in Rwanda Training Materials
Since the early 1990s, gender mainstreaming has been developed as a tool to help in implementing new policies in different areas, however, this tool has not been properly utilized in the transport sector. This project focuses on including gender mainstreaming in the research of the transport system in Kigali City, Rwanda. The gendered public transport project shows that there are tenacious and clear gender differences in transport patterns amongst women, elderly people, and people with disabilities. This research project shows that transport policymakers and researchers must pay attention to gender issues in order to incorporate gendered designs that will impact and improve transport policy and transportation systems. Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: English |
Technologies for another form of construction : experiences by women from popular movements Training Materials
The research project is based on a housing movement called “Mutirão” which emerged at the end of the 1980s, where residential areas were constructed on the outskirts of populated cities in Brazil. This collective activity is usually led by women (around 80%) who organize, coordinate, and work on-site. This study deploys the female perspective that has been systematically erased by colonial and patriarchal orders, to redesign construction sites, materials, tools, and techniques and deconstruct the barriers created by sexual division of labour. Through participatory processes and workshops, this study uses female perspectives to resurrect ancestral construction techniques, such as the Pana: a fabric that serves both as an object for daily activities such as for carrying things around, and as a manual that outlines technologies and construction techniques from women in different territories of Brazil. Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: English |
Modernization of the Tanzania’s batik industry as a potential source of income for unemployed women : the case of Dar es Salaam Training Materials
Batik is an artistic technique that is created by applying wax to fabrics in specific patterns, followed by dyeing the fabric repeatedly until it has achieved the desired design and colour. In Tanzania, the batik industry is dominated by small and medium firms, mainly led by women in both rural and urban areas who practice the art of batik usually in their own homes. Through survey and interview methods, this study identifies the many challenges associated with the industry, particularly with the techniques that are currently used in the batik industry in Tanzania. Upon analyzing the data from the survey and interviews, modernized and standardized batik techniques were introduced to the industry for the purpose of assisting batik producers in creating high quality and sustainable batik products with potential to be sold in international markets. Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: English |
Tecnologias para outra forma de construção : experiências de mulheres de movimentos populares Material de formación
Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in STEAM (GDS) Language: Spanish |
Reimaginar territorio urbano para la autonomía femenina en Colombia Material de formación
Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: Spanish |
3D-printed prosthesis to support female survivors of domestic violence, accidents or cancer treatment in Brazil Training Materials
During development before birth and throughout life, the human body can be mutilated or amputated due to a variety of causes. This study investigates how 3D printing as an innovative technology can be utilized for prostheses production for women with visible disabilities caused by domestic violence, accidents, medical conditions, or cancer treatment. 3D printing offers a more sustainable alternative when compared to traditional prosthetics as it allows for higher levels of customization at lower production costs. This project used Design Science Research (DSR), which incorporates theory, artifact development, creativity, and innovation as a methodological approach. This project investigates the impacts of 3D printing technology on gendered design prosthesis to rehabilitate identity, confidence and independence of women in low- and middle-income countries. Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: English |
Developing a hybrid fish dryer to improve processing for small-scale female processors in Lagos, Nigeria Training Materials
In Lagos State, Nigeria, fish processing is a female-centric occupation dominated by traditional smoke-drying technologies that exhibit occupational hazards and fuel inefficiencies. Among fish processors in the small-scale fisheries sector, there has been limited success to introduce home grown technologies for adoption. Campaigns against the use of firewood and switching to charcoal have not been successful. Barriers to the adoption of improved fish smoking practices and sustainable energy use are influenced by cultural biases, socio-economic and psychological factors. Additionally, the energy crisis has added another barrier to the adoption of charcoal due to increasing costs. Based on the identified challenges, this project adopted a transdisciplinary approach conducting surveys and training workshops with fish processors, fishermen and other stakeholders to design a modernized fish dryer prototype and to evaluate the adoption of alternative biomass sources for fuel. Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in STEAM (GDS) Language: English |
Reimagining urban territories for women’s autonomy in Colombia Training Materials
This project builds on ongoing work in the neighborhood of Bélen in Bogotá to resist gentrification and redevelopment efforts through the creation and expansion of community spaces with a gendered perspective. Researchers from Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano worked with a local group of women, the Circle of Women Aisha, to create a community kitchen and expand and renovate an existing community garden at a local community space Casa B. This project focuses on domestic spheres to argue that they are important spaces of feminist politics and community knowledge. Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: English |
Próteses impressas em 3D para apoiar mulheres sobreviventes de violência doméstica, acidentes ou tratamento de câncer no Brasil Training Materials
Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: Portuguese |
Improving traditional fish drying technology design for women fish vendors in Nigeria Training Materials
Fishing is the main occupation of the people of Akwa Ibom state of Nigeria. Women constitute more than 90% of the personnel involved in traditional fish preservation, handling, and marketing. The study was concerned with improved and gendered design of traditional fish Drying Technology, to address some lagging challenges in operations in the traditional fish drying cottage industry. Traditional fish drying methods are inadequate, inconveniencing, and dangerous to health. The team used questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussions to identify the main hazards and challenges experienced by women fish processors and vendors. With this data, they designed improved fish drying technology prototypes in hopes of changing the industry to improve conditions for women. Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in STEAM (GDS) Language: English |
Developing innovative urban design strategies to combat gender violence in Mexico Training Materials
This project developed seminars with professors, undergraduate, and graduate students from a variety of disciplines in order to come up with innovative design approaches to the issue of gendered violence in Ciudad Juárez. The participants studied the literature on gendered violence in the city and created proposals for designs with gendered violence as the central focus, which included plans for bus stops, experiments in the use of storytelling in design research, and infographics on sexist attitudes among the design students at the university. Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: English |
Um estudo de caso sobre design de roupas; considerações sobre mulheres na menopausa de baixa renda no Brasil Training Materials
Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: Portuguese |
Case study of clothing design considerations of low-income, menopausal women in Brazil Training Materials
As in many societies, in Brazil, middle-aged and low-income women are subject to marginalization caused by social and gender inequality. This reality underlies the construction of negative stereotypes associated with the devaluation of aging female bodies and beauty. Clothing contributes to the perception of belonging and acceptance in the social environment. When the issues of aging, gender, and economic vulnerability are present, these judgments can further feed the construction of depreciating stereotypes of women. Recognizing the particularities of these women and their demands is essential for the development of clothing products that can contribute to self-esteem and social belonging, democratizing the actions and design solutions. Thus, this investigation had as a main objective: to understand how middle-aged and low-income women perceived the biopsychosocial factors of aging, and how they influence the factors of usability and social representation through the bias of gender construction. Author(s): Gendered Design in STEAM (GDS), Carleton University Language: English |
Desarrollar estrategias de diseño urbano para combatir violencia de género en México Material de formación
Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: Spanish |
Studying the use of artifacts to rebuild self-image and identity among female breast cancer survivors in Brazil Training Materials
This study qualitatively analyzes the individual and social well-being of female breast cancer survivors who underwent mastectomies in Pernambuco, Brazil. This study focuses on the potential of design as a vehicle for the resignification of self-image by women who have undergone mastectomies due to breast cancer, and to aid in reducing negative perceptions about their bodies. Through interviews, workshops, and exhibitions in collaboration with The Support and Self-Awareness Group for People with Cancer, this study has collected diverse personal experiences from survivors of breast cancer and of those receiving treatments, has highlighted the demands during the different stages of cancer treatment, has provided insight on the relationship these women establish with their own bodies and with artifacts they use, and has allowed women to explore strategies to rebuild their self-image and break taboos related to breasts and breast cancer. Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: English |
Designing mobile services for ageing women in Malaysia Training Materials
Malaysia reached its demographic trajectory to become an aging society in 2020, and the aged population remains low in adopting mobile technologies. To improve the participation of this user group and align them with technological development, this project aims to explore mobile usage behaviour, and expenditure on telecommunication among female elderly in Malaysia and propose a framework to better design mobile services for them. To achieve this objective, the research team conducted quantitative studies and a qualitative study involving female elderly participants to explore their use of mobile services through the lens of intersectionality. Author(s): Gendered Design in STEAM (GDS), Carleton University Language: English |
Re/diseñar espacios de la universidad de Buenos Aires con perspectivas de género en la Argentina Material de formación
Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: Spanish |
Improving access to financial services to enhance women’s economic empowerment in Ethiopia Training Materials
Financial literacy is low amongst women in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, resulting in increased poverty stemming from the lack of command over their own economic resources. This study investigated the financial literacy of women and explored the sociocultural and psychological factors that hinder or encourage utilization of financial opportunities open to women. In partnership with Enat Bank in Ethiopia, research was conducted to devise technological solutions, such as a prototype Chatbot application, to facilitate the ease of access to financial services and improve financial literacy. Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: English |
Assessing the impact of solar panels to improve energy access for women in rural Ghana Training Materials
The government of Ghana aims to provide energy access to communities with populations of 500 and above, but isolated communities (rural or island) have no access to electricity. This case study explored the factors enhancing women’s empowerment through energy access and investigated productive uses of energy in informal food preparation and processing sectors owned by women and vulnerable populations. The project assessed the impact on energy access, gender, and the political economy of the energy sector in these communities and explored how to enhance the role of the private sector in scaling up energy access for all. Author(s): Gendered Design in STEAM (GDS), Carleton University Language: English |
Re/designing the university of Buenos Aires campus to be gender inclusive in Argentina Training Materials
This research aimed to identify the impact of the gender policies implemented by the University of Buenos Aires, specifically on the spaces and everyday uses of its campus spaces. In order to understand how students, faculty, and staff perceive and appropriate campus space, the team carried out a massive online survey as well as an ethnographic study of social media accounts discussing campus spaces. Based on their findings, they have developed recommendations for institutions for the strategizing and application of gender policies in campus design. Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: English |
Estudando o uso de artefatos para reconstruir a autoimagem e a identidade entre mulheres sobreviventes de câncer de mama no Brasil Training Materials
Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: Portuguese |
Gendered commutes in Ankara : women’s experiences, strategies and implications for the design of public transit Training Materials
The aim of the project is to answer the question of how and to what extent the gender-related problems experienced by women in public transportation in Ankara can be tackled as a design problem. This research first interviewed women then the data collected was incorporated into design ideas by four professional industrial designers through a series of design intervention activities. Author(s): Gendered Design in STEAM (GDS), Carleton University Language: English |
Exploring urban care infrastructures to support women’s autonomy in Argentina Training Materials
This research addresses the issue of care work as mostly assumed by women and focuses on the unequal distribution of care services and infrastructures in fragmented cities. This project is located in the city of Córdoba, in the underserved neighbourhoods of Marechal, Villa Páez and Alberdi. The project utilized quantitative and qualitative mapping to understand gendered urban experiences related to care, and how these are omitted in current urban planning discourses. Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: English |
Developing small wind turbines with local women for domestic use in Mauritius Training Materials
The energy transition to renewable sources, along with energy efficiency and management, are areas where women should be engaged actively. This research project aims to design and develop a prototype in the form of a computational model for a system using a vertical-axis wind turbine which can later be scaled-up for domestic use in Mauritius and other small islands. The key research question is to determine how the integration of Gendered Design in the context of small-island economies, with the case of Mauritius in particular, can be achieved using numerical simulations and optimization techniques for the latter application. As such, the efficiency and performance of a small-scale Savonius vertical-axis wind turbine under various wind speeds typical of the Mauritian environment has been numerically investigated. Author(s): Carleton University, Gendered Design in Steam (GDS) Language: English |
Gendered design in STEAM Training Materials
From April 2019 to October 2022, the GDS Program has been investigating and advancing gendered design through 20 grant-awarded projects with scholars at institutions across the global souths. The Program aimed to contribute to more inclusive technological designs in science, technology, engineering, the arts and math by building capacity in gendered design and innovations to address challenges and biased perceptions predominantly faced by women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The gendered design approach brings diverse and critical perspectives to the design process to reshape how we identify design challenges, the process to address them, the solutions to these challenges, as well as the reach of their benefits. Author(s): Gendered Design in STEAM (GDS), Carleton University Language: English |