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Women’s Empowerment in the Context of Millennium Development Goal 3: A Case Study of Married Women in Ghana

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  • Godfred Boateng
  • Vincent Kuuire
  • Mengieng Ung
  • Jonathan Amoyaw
  • Frederick Armah
  • Isaac Luginaah

Abstract

This paper assesses women’s empowerment in Ghana in the light of the Millennium Development Goal 3. Data for the study were drawn from the 2008 Ghana Demographic Health Survey with an analytic sample of 1,876 married women aged 15–49. Using binary logistic regression in determining the factors that influence women empowerment, this paper examines the relationship between wealth and women’s involvement in household decision-making in the context of healthcare, large household purchases, daily house hold purchases and mobility. The findings show that wealthier married women were significantly more likely to be involved in decision-making on their own healthcare (OR = 2.14, p ≤ 0.001). Also, age, tertiary education and employment significantly shaped the involvement of married women in household decision-making in Ghana. Surprisingly, married women in the Upper East region (the second poorest) were significantly more likely to be involved in three measures of decision-making except for decisions on large household purchases relative to those in the Greater Accra region (the capital). Policies oriented towards an increase in accessibility to tertiary education, employment equity and the creation of income generating activities for women would enhance women’s empowerment in Ghana. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Godfred Boateng & Vincent Kuuire & Mengieng Ung & Jonathan Amoyaw & Frederick Armah & Isaac Luginaah, 2014. "Women’s Empowerment in the Context of Millennium Development Goal 3: A Case Study of Married Women in Ghana," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 115(1), pages 137-158, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:115:y:2014:i:1:p:137-158
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-012-0212-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kati Schindler, 2010. "Credit for What? Informal Credit as a Coping Strategy of Market Women in Northern Ghana," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(2), pages 234-253.
    2. Chao, S., 1999. "Ghana. Gender Analysis and Policymaking for Development," World Bank - Discussion Papers 403, World Bank.
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    4. Jacques Charmes & Saskia Wieringa, 2003. "Measuring Women's Empowerment: An assessment of the Gender-related Development Index and the Gender Empowerment Measure," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(3), pages 419-435.
    5. Becker, Stan & Fonseca-Becker, Fannie & Schenck-Yglesias, Catherine, 2006. "Husbands' and wives' reports of women's decision-making power in Western Guatemala and their effects on preventive health behaviors," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(9), pages 2313-2326, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yacob A. Zereyesus & Vincent Amanor-Boadu & Kara L. Ross & Aleksan Shanoyan, 2017. "Does Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Matter for Children’s Health Status? Insights from Northern Ghana," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 132(3), pages 1265-1280, July.
    2. Kpienbaareh, Daniel & Atuoye, Kilian N. & Ngabonzima, Anaclet & Bagambe, Patrick G. & Rulisa, Stephen & Luginaah, Isaac & Cechetto, David F., 2019. "Spatio-temporal disparities in maternal health service utilization in Rwanda: What next for SDGs?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 226(C), pages 164-175.
    3. Ellis Adams & Godfred Boateng & Jonathan Amoyaw, 2016. "Socioeconomic and Demographic Predictors of Potable Water and Sanitation Access in Ghana," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 126(2), pages 673-687, March.
    4. Mya Thandar & Hlaing Hlaing Moe & Win Naing, 2019. "Women’s empowerment among married women aged 15-49 in Myanmar," Asia-Pacific Sustainable Development Journal, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), vol. 26(2), pages 57-81, December.
    5. Shamsun Nahar & Cecilia W. Mengo, 2022. "Measuring women's empowerment in developing countries: A systematic review," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(2), pages 322-333, March.
    6. Selamah Yusof, 2015. "Household Decision-Making in Malaysia: The Ethnic Dimension," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 124(1), pages 283-293, October.

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