IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/jintdv/v36y2024i1p343-364.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Time poverty and gender in urban sub‐Saharan Africa: Long working days and long commutes in Ghana's Greater Accra Metropolitan Area

Author

Listed:
  • Fiona Carmichael
  • Christian K. Darko
  • Patricia Daley
  • Joanne Duberley
  • Marco Ercolani
  • Tim Schwanen
  • Daniel Wheatley

Abstract

This study uses a mixed‐methods approach and primary data to consider how the length of the working day in Ghana's Greater Accra Metropolitan Area is shaped by time in paid and unpaid work and commuting. The analysis investigates gender differences in the length of the working day and the incidence of time poverty, and explores the relationship between long working days, long and arduous commutes and well‐being. Women are found to be more time poor, and their longer hours of unpaid household caregiving and chores and more difficult commutes have consequences for their leisure time, family–life and health.

Suggested Citation

  • Fiona Carmichael & Christian K. Darko & Patricia Daley & Joanne Duberley & Marco Ercolani & Tim Schwanen & Daniel Wheatley, 2024. "Time poverty and gender in urban sub‐Saharan Africa: Long working days and long commutes in Ghana's Greater Accra Metropolitan Area," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(1), pages 343-364, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:36:y:2024:i:1:p:343-364
    DOI: 10.1002/jid.3817
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.3817
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/jid.3817?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sarah Gammage, 2010. "Time Pressed and Time Poor: Unpaid Household Work in Guatemala," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(3), pages 79-112.
    2. Esson, James & Gough, Katherine V. & Simon, David & Amankwaa, Ebenezer F. & Ninot, Olivier & Yankson, Paul W.K., 2016. "Livelihoods in motion: Linking transport, mobility and income-generating activities," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 182-188.
    3. Julian Walker, 2013. "Time poverty, gender and well-being: lessons from the Kyrgyz Swiss Swedish Health Programme," Development in Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(1), pages 57-68.
    4. Sara Stevano, 2019. "The Limits of Instrumentalism: Informal Work and Gendered Cycles of Food Insecurity in Mozambique," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(1), pages 83-98, January.
    5. Peter Davis & Bob Baulch, 2011. "Parallel Realities: Exploring Poverty Dynamics Using Mixed Methods in Rural Bangladesh," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(1), pages 118-142.
    6. David Lawson & Andy Mckay & John Okidi, 2006. "Poverty persistence and transitions in Uganda: A combined qualitative and quantitative analysis," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(7), pages 1225-1251.
    7. Gronau, Reuben, 1977. "Leisure, Home Production, and Work-The Theory of the Allocation of Time Revisited," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 85(6), pages 1099-1123, December.
    8. Ruut Veenhoven, 1996. "Developments in satisfaction-research," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 37(1), pages 1-46, January.
    9. Betsey Stevenson & Justin Wolfers, 2009. "The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 1(2), pages 190-225, August.
    10. Emmanuel Orkoh & Phillip Frederick Blaauw & Carike Claassen, 2020. "Relative Effects of Income and Consumption Poverty on Time Poverty in Ghana," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 147(2), pages 465-499, January.
    11. Claudia Senik, 2014. "Wealth and happiness," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 30(1), pages 92-108.
    12. Claudia N. Berg & Uwe Deichmann & Yishen Liu & Harris Selod, 2017. "Transport Policies and Development," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(4), pages 465-480, April.
    13. Asmaa Ezzat & Hanan Nazier, 2019. "Time poverty in Egypt and Tunisia: is there a gender gap?," International Journal of Development Issues, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 18(3), pages 261-289, August.
    14. Maria Mwaipopo Fibaek, 2021. "Working Poor? A Study of Rural Workers' Economic Welfare in Kenya," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(1), pages 41-69, January.
    15. Nancy Folbre, 2006. "Measuring Care: Gender, Empowerment, and the Care Economy," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(2), pages 183-199.
    16. Elena Bardasi & Quentin Wodon, 2010. "Working Long Hours and Having No Choice: Time Poverty in Guinea," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(3), pages 45-78.
    17. Shyamal K. Chowdhury, 2010. "Impact of infrastructures on paid work opportunities and unpaid work burdens on rural women in Bangladesh," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(7), pages 997-1017.
    18. Jason Russ & Claudia Berg & Richard Damania & A. Federico Barra & Rubaba Ali & John Nash, 2018. "Evaluating Transport Infrastructure Projects in Low Data Environments: An Application to Nigeria," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(8), pages 1406-1425, August.
    19. Gary S. Becker, 1981. "A Treatise on the Family," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number beck81-1, March.
    20. Agyemang, Ernest, 2017. "Mode choice for long distance trips: Evidence from the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area of Ghana," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 150-157.
    21. Elson, Diane & Cagatay, Nilufer, 2000. "The Social Content of Macroeconomic Policies," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 28(7), pages 1347-1364, July.
    22. Charlene Kalenkoski & Karen Hamrick & Margaret Andrews, 2011. "Time Poverty Thresholds and Rates for the US Population," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 104(1), pages 129-155, October.
    23. Diksha Arora & Codrina Rada, 2017. "A Gendered Model of the Peasant Household: Time poverty and Farm Production in Rural Mozambique," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(2), pages 93-119, April.
    24. Jon C. Messenger, 2011. "Working time trends and developments in Europe 1," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 35(2), pages 295-316.
    25. Jason R. Williams & Yuta J. Masuda & Heather Tallis, 2016. "A Measure Whose Time has Come: Formalizing Time Poverty," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 128(1), pages 265-283, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chakraborty, Lekha S, 2022. "Covid19 and Fiscal Policy for Unpaid Care Economy," MPRA Paper 111925, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Chakraborty, Lekha, 2022. "Covid19 and Unpaid Care Economy: Evidence on Fiscal Policy and Time Allocation in India," Working Papers 22/372, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.
    3. Martey, Edward & Etwire, Prince M. & Atinga, David & Yevu, Mawuli, 2021. "Household energy choice for cooking among the time and consumption poor in Ghana," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    4. Nazier, Hanan & Ezzat, Asmaa, 2022. "Gender differences and time allocation: A comparative analysis of Egypt and Tunisia," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 174-193.
    5. Cieplinski, André & D'Alessandro, Simone & Dwarkasing, Chandni & Guarnieri, Pietro, 2023. "Narrowing women’s time and income gaps: An assessment of the synergies between working time reduction and universal income schemes," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    6. Edward Martey & Prince M. Etwire & Isaac Koomson, 2022. "Parental Time Poverty, Child Work and School Attendance in Ghana," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(4), pages 1489-1515, August.
    7. Hanmer,Lucia C. & Rubiano Matulevich,Eliana Carolina & Santamaria,Julieth, 2021. "Differences in Household Composition : Hidden Dimensions of Poverty and Displacement in Somalia," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9818, The World Bank.
    8. Diksha Arora, 2014. "Gender Differences in Time Poverty in Rural Mozambique," Working Paper Series, Department of Economics, University of Utah 2014_05, University of Utah, Department of Economics.
    9. Emmanuel Orkoh & Phillip Frederick Blaauw & Carike Claassen, 2020. "Relative Effects of Income and Consumption Poverty on Time Poverty in Ghana," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 147(2), pages 465-499, January.
    10. Benvin, Evelyn & Rivera, Elizabeth & Tromben, Varinia, 2016. "A multidimensional time use and well-being index: a proposal for Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Uruguay," Revista CEPAL, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), April.
    11. Meurs, Mieke & Slavchevska, Vanya, 2014. "Doing it all: Women’s employment and reproductive work in Tajikistan," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 786-803.
    12. Daniela Campus & Gianna Giannelli, 2016. "Is the Allocation of Time Gender Sensitive to Food Price Changes? An Investigation of Hours of Work in Uganda," Working Papers - Economics wp2016_16.rdf, Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Scienze per l'Economia e l'Impresa.
    13. Sara Stevano & Suneetha Kadiyala & Deborah Johnston & Hazel Malapit & Elizabeth Hull & Sofia Kalamatianou, 2019. "Time-Use Analytics: An Improved Way of Understanding Gendered Agriculture-Nutrition Pathways," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(3), pages 1-22, July.
    14. Schwanen, Tim, 2020. "Towards decolonial human subjects in research on transport," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    15. James J. Heckman, 2015. "Introduction to A Theory of the Allocation of Time by Gary Becker," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 0(583), pages 403-409, March.
    16. Anna Matysiak & Letizia Mencarini & Daniele Vignoli, 2016. "Work–Family Conflict Moderates the Relationship Between Childbearing and Subjective Well-Being," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 32(3), pages 355-379, August.
    17. Catherine Sofer & Claire Thibout, 2019. "Women’s investment in career and the household division of labour," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(60), pages 6535-6557, December.
    18. R.Ramya, 2019. "Care Work and Time Use: A Focus on Child Care, Personal Care and Elderly Care Time," Shanlax International Journal of Economics, Shanlax Journals, vol. 7(2), pages 34-41, March.
    19. Hans Bloemen & Elena Stancanelli, 2008. "How Do Parents Allocate Time? The Effects of Wages and Income," Sciences Po publications 3679, Sciences Po.
    20. Scharadin, Benjamin, 2022. "The efficacy of the dependent care deduction at maintaining diet quality," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:36:y:2024:i:1:p:343-364. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/5102/home .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.