A Gendered Perspective on Migrant Women Farmers' Lived
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 9-18-2017 12:30 PM A Gendered Perspective On Migrant Women Farmers’ Lived Experiences In The Brong-Ahafo Region Of Ghana Jemima Nomunume Baada The University of Western Ontario Supervisor LUGINAAH, ISAAC The University of Western Ontario Co-Supervisor BARUAH, BIPASHA The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Geography A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Master of Arts © Jemima Nomunume Baada 2017 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Human Geography Commons Recommended Citation Baada, Jemima Nomunume, "A Gendered Perspective On Migrant Women Farmers’ Lived Experiences In The Brong-Ahafo Region Of Ghana" (2017). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 4954. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/4954 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract This thesis examined the lived experiences of migrant women in rural areas of the Brong- Ahafo Region (BAR) of Ghana. Notwithstanding the depth of research on internal migrations in Ghana, little is known about women who have migrated from the Upper West Region to rural settlements in BAR to farm. Using 30 in-depth interviews, 5 focus group discussions and 10 key informant interviews, the study investigated migrant women’s productive and reproductive challenges, how they navigate these limitations, and the current state of livelihood improvement interventions. The findings revealed that migrant women’s livelihoods may not have improved as they had expected pre-migration, due to structural and cultural barriers which inhibit their effective utilisation of economic, health and social resources. Given their overwhelming constraints, migrant women tend to work more as there are few interventions to support them. Key words: Migration, Women, Agriculture, Reproductive Activities, Brong-Ahafo Region, Ghana i Co-Authorship Statement This thesis consists of two manuscripts which are at different stages of being processed for publication. (see chapters 4 and 5). Chapters 1 and 2 provide an outline of the study problem, research objectives and literature around women and migration, with a focus on internal migration dynamics in Ghana. The methods employed in conducting the study are presented in chapter 3. Chapter 6 provides a summary and conclusion of the study. It also highlights the contributions of the study to literature and methods, as well as policy implications and directions for future research. The research manuscripts are as follows: Chapter 4: Baada, J.N., Baruah, B., & Luginaah, I., Running with Poverty: Interrogating the Paradox Embedded in Migration as a Livelihood Improvement Strategy among Migrant Women Farmers in the Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana. Chapter 5: Baada, J.N., Baruah, B., & Luginaah, I., The Strangers We Are: Examining Migrant Women Farmers’ Reproductive Health and Child Care Dynamics in the Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana. While all the manuscripts are co-authored with my thesis supervisors, their role was restricted to providing guidance and reviewing drafts of the chapters. As the first author, I conducted the actual research including problem identification, literature review, data collection and analysis, and writing. ii Acknowledgement I am most grateful to God almighty for the constant love and protection, for providing me with the strength to forge on and for the constant reminder that I’m embarking on this journey for a purpose. Many people have worked tirelessly and provided invaluable guidance in the course of writing this thesis. First, my utmost gratitude goes to my two supervisors, Dr Bipasha Baruah and Dr Isaac Luginaah who have been immensely supportive throughout my programme. I appreciate the patience, faith and confidence in me, as well as the invaluable input in steering my research in the right direction. I am indebted to Dr Baruah for the many lunch and dinner meetings, her constant concern for my personal wellbeing and most importantly for giving me motivation to finish my master’s ahead of time. I also appreciate the life lessons from Dr Luginaah, delivered in his usual playful manner; I’ll take them with me wherever I go. Thank you both. I would also like to thank the staff and faculty of the Department of Geography, especially Lori Johnson and Karen Vankerkoerle for their support in diverse ways. I couldn’t have done this without your help. My utmost gratitude goes to my thesis committee members as well; Dr Chantelle Richmond, Dr Thomas Tieku, Dr Jason Gilliland and Dr Godwin Arku for their invaluable comments on my thesis. I am most grateful to my ‘professors’ in the lab; Mr Kilian Nasung Atuoye, Mr Roger Antabe, Dr Vincent Zubedaar Kuuire, Dr Emmanuel Songsore, Mr Yuji Sano and Ms Florence Anfaara for their constructive feedback, NVivo lessons and proofreading roles. I appreciate the sacrifices you made. You are the best! I say a big thank you to Dr Sheila A. Boamah, Dr Mengieng Ung, Kathleen Mahamoud and Joseph Nkanta for being iii there; it has made all the difference in how this played out. Dr Elias Kuusaana Danyi, I don’t have to say anything, you know where you stand with me. My immense gratitude goes to my friends and the entire EHHL family as well: Joseph A. Braimah, Moses M. Kansanga, Carrie Warring, Lydia Osei, Siera Vercillo, Jason Were, Jenny Tjhin, Rosalind Ragetlie, Dr Chad Walker, Cortney Dakin, Ezinne Ndubueze, Daniel Kpienbaareh, Alhassan Albin Korem, Francis Mprah-Barnieh and Yvonne Song. It has been an amazing year and half with you all; the companionship, wardrobe stocking, free food, cookies, gossip and most importantly, the laughter. May we stay connected. I am also thankful to my awesome research assistants back in Ghana; Stephen Kobom, Gregory Antabe, Frank Batola and Doris Dery. Your hard work, personal assistance in various ways and commitment to my project has brought me this far. I am grateful to Mr Castor Bayuo and Caroline Bayuo for their kind hospitality during my stay in Ghana. My sincere appreciation to all migrant women and key informants in the BAR who participated in the study. I will do my best to get your voices out there. To my family; Mr Frederic Baada Snr, Frederic Baada Jnr, Anastasia Tinper, Andrew Baada, Dominica Baada and Richard Baada, I love you all. Finally, I acknowledge financial support from the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship for my fieldwork in Ghana. iv Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... i Co-Authorship Statement............................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgement ...................................................................................................................... iii List of Tables .............................................................................................................................. ix List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. x CHAPTER ONE .............................................................................................................................. 1 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background to the study ........................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Study Objectives .................................................................................................................... 6 1.3 Geographies of Health ........................................................................................................... 6 1.4 Feminist Geographies ............................................................................................................ 9 1.5 Organisation of the Thesis ................................................................................................... 10 1.6 References ............................................................................................................................ 12 CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................... 16 HISTORY AND DISCOURSE OF AGRARIAN WOMEN AND MIGRATION IN GHANA ... 16 2.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 16 2.2 Women and Migration ......................................................................................................... 16 2.3 Women as Economic Migrants ............................................................................................ 20 2.4 Women’s Reproductive and Child Care Activities in Migration ......................................... 21 2.5 Shifting Migrations .............................................................................................................. 24 2.6 North-South Migration Dynamics in Ghana ........................................................................ 25 2.6.1 Shifts from Urban to Rural Migration