It is not all about Reproductive Labour: Excluded Traditional Ventures and Rural Livelihoods among Women in Northern Ghana

Abstract

In the era of rapid corporatisation and obsession with market-led growth, not much attention has been paid to people who have not been able to fully tap into the new paradigm. Rural women face additional difficulties owing to societal constructs that further limit their participation in the mainstream economy. They also face real dangers that the traditional economic ventures, they have historically relied on, are on the verge of extinction. Rural women in Dagbon[i] are now caught in a web: on the one hand, they have not migrated fully into the mainstream capitalist or what is often termed the “modern” economy; and, on the other hand, they are also losing a grip on their traditional economic strategies, which have historically formed the bedrock of community welfare.  In this paper, I explore some selected traditional economic ventures undertaken by women in rural Dagbon. I examine the appropriateness of these local economic ventures in enhancing welfare among rural households in Dagbon, and the relevance of these activities in responding to a variety of community needs, including cultural and religious purposes. It concludes with a call to pay more attention to understanding the deeper and underlying socio-cultural contexts in which women pursue livelihood activities in rural and traditional communities.

Key words: Rural women; Dagbon, Traditional Economics, Livelihoods

[i] Dagbon refers to the area inhabited by the Dagomba ethnic group of Northern Ghana