Ghana - Women's role in improved economic performance

54861 No. 145 October 1999 Findings occasionally reports on development initiatives not assisted by the World Bank. This article is one such effort. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Bank Group, the Government of Ghana, or the banks and NGOs mentioned. Ghana: Women's role in improved economic performance Background The Government of Ghana's program to develop a gender strategy has been supported by the World Bank. This article is based on a Bank-assisted sector study, Ghana : Gender Analysis and Policymaking for Development. The Bank team worked closely with Ghanaian Ministries of Agriculture, Micro-finance, Education, and Health to identify gender issues and study feasible recommendations. Along with the government, a broad range of stakeholders participated in the study, including academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, and women's groups. Through workshops and mission visits, four points of focus were identified for the study: agriculture, micro-enterprises, education, and health. Many of the stakeholders also emphasized the importance of strengthening Ghana's institutional capacity to develop and implement policies that adequately address gender concerns. The study focuses on two broad areas of gender-based differences and inequalities: the links between gender and economic productivity, and the development of human capital. In addition to the study described here, the Ghanaian government produced two policy documents from this study; both are now under final review within the government. Main Findings Women and men in Ghana have distinctly different daily activities and social constraints. Women do different work than men. Women make up roughly 85 percent of the wholesale and retail trading industries and about two-thirds of manufacturing, working mostly in the informal sector. In agriculture, women usually grow food while men grow cash crops. Women bear primary responsibility for child-rearing, cooking, washing, and collecting fuel-wood and water. Relatively few women work in modern or formal sector activities. Despite recent gains in some areas, gender inequalities continue to constrain women's ability to participate in and contribute to the economy, and harm women's health (Box 1). Box 1 : Persisting Gender Inequalities