Improved Lighter and Long-Handle Hoes For Women

Ton Rulkens and his team from Oxfam-Solidarité in Belgium will bring together women smallholder farmers, local blacksmiths, and scientists in a participatory approach to design labor-saving hoes for tilling and weeding in Northern Mozambique. Successful and widespread implementation of labor-saving tools has proven difficult to achieve partly due to a lack of consideration of local conditions. By taking into account women's preferences, accessibility constraints, social systems, and cultural beliefs, they will design improved hoe samples that should be more readily adopted. The top designs will be produced and tested, with the aim to scale-up testing for broader application.