ABSTRACT
PIP: This article discusses the effectiveness of technology transfers to women entrepreneurs in developing countries. Most women's enterprises share common characteristics: very small businesses, employment of women owners and maybe some family members, limited working capital, low profit margins, and flexible or part-time work. Many enterprises do not plan for growth. Women tend to diversify and use risk-avoidance strategies. Support for women's enterprises ignores the characteristics of women's enterprises. Support mechanisms could be offered that would perfect risk-spreading strategies and dynamic enterprise management through other means than growth. Many initiatives, since the 1970s, have transferred technologies to women. Technologies were applied to only a few domains and were viewed as appropriate based on their small size, low level of complexity, low cost, and environmental friendliness. Technology transfers may not be viewed by beneficiaries as the appropriate answer to needs. The bottleneck in transfers to women is not in the development of prototypes, but in the dissemination of technology that is sustainable, appropriate, and accessible. Key features for determining appropriateness include baseline studies, consumer linkages, and a repetitive process. Institutional factors may limit appropriateness. There is a need for long-term outputs, better links with users, training in use of the technology, grouping of women into larger units, and technology availability in quantities large enough to meet demand. Guidelines need to be developed that include appropriate content and training that ensures transfer of knowledge to practice.^ieng
