The gendered nature of IndigenousKnowledge - IK - is often overlooked, marginalized orneglected. While the differences may tend to be more subtlein industrial countries, the same cannot be said ofdeveloping countries. Information, especially IK-relatedinformation, tends to be viewed, perceived, and acted upondifferently by the different genders. This note seeks toprovide an understanding of the role of gender, and the wayit impacts the intrinsic value of local knowledge systems,critical to the understanding, interpretation, anddissemination of indigenous knowledge. As a result of thisgender differentiation and specialization, the IK and skillsheld by women, often differ from those held by men,affecting patterns of access, use, and control, thusresulting in different perceptions and priorities for theinnovation and use of IK. It also impacts the way in whichIK is disseminated, documented, and passed on to futuregenerations. In attempting to achieve cross-regionalexchange of women's IK, the Bank organized theIndigenous Knowledge Program, a study tour to South Asia,and the key to some success stories, as observed in theregion, resulted from having women involved in planning, andimplementation in projects at the grassroots level. The notereviews aspects in traditional medicine, medicinal plants,food security, as well as the level of informationcommunications technology, and early childhood development.In this context, some adaptations concerning women werefound, namely, bottom-up approach; battling HIV/AIDS; andinnovations in early childhood development.
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