Género y apropiación tecnológica en la Amazonía boliviana

Several studies have explored access barriers to productive technology faced by men and women. However, little has been said about the difficulties that may arise in the process of incorporating technologies into everyday life, once such barriers have been overcome. That is why, through a combination of qualitative and quantitative tools, this Working Document aims to investigate the particularities of technological appropriation in three projects developed in the Bolivian Amazon, from a gender perspective. Focus groups, interviews, participant observation and surveys have been used to gather information, favoring qualitative treatment. The results indicate that the participation of users in early stages of project implementation enhances their sense of belonging, as well as the formation of groups facilitates the flow of information and provides incentives for their sustained use. On the other hand, it is evident that around technology there is a gender- differentiated identity construction, visible in individual and community perceptions, which facilitate the appropriation of productive innovations by men, while making it difficult for women. Finally, in order to be successful, every project must take into account subjective elements such as cultural preferences, social arrangements of production and reproduction, and neutrality of the symbolic spaces where it takes place. This research was developed within the Instituto de Investigaciones Socio-Económicas de la Universidad Católica Boliviana, IISEC.