IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/jintdv/v36y2024i1p365-397.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Walking for water and fuelwood: Welfare implications for women and children in Ghana

Author

Listed:
  • Monica P. Lambon‐Quayefio

Abstract

In most sub‐Saharan African (SSA) countries, the burden of collecting fuelwood and water is gendered. Competing needs for women's time compel them to make choices, which present challenges for poverty reduction. The study investigates the impact of women's limited access to clean fuel and water on children's and women's welfare outcomes using the third wave of the Ghana socio‐economic panel survey. An instrumental variable approach is employed to address the endogeneity of women's time allocation and results suggest that limited access to safe water and clean fuel has significant implications for children's human capital development. I find similar negative effects for women's own health and labour market outcomes. Findings from the study have important policy implications regarding the provision of basic infrastructure for improved welfare outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Monica P. Lambon‐Quayefio, 2024. "Walking for water and fuelwood: Welfare implications for women and children in Ghana," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(1), pages 365-397, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:36:y:2024:i:1:p:365-397
    DOI: 10.1002/jid.3818
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.3818
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/jid.3818?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. Spears, Dean, 2012. "Height and cognitive achievement among Indian children," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 210-219.
    2. Ajit Zacharias, 2011. "The Measurement of Time and Income Poverty," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_690, Levy Economics Institute.
    3. 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.
    4. Richard U. Agesa & Jacqueline Agesa, 2019. "Time Spent On Household Chores (Fetching Water) And The Alternatives Forgone For Women in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Developing Areas, Tennessee State University, College of Business, vol. 53(2), pages 29-42, April-Jun.
    5. Gwavuya, S.G. & Abele, S. & Barfuss, I. & Zeller, M. & Müller, J., 2012. "Household energy economics in rural Ethiopia: A cost-benefit analysis of biogas energy," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 202-209.
    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. Ana L Kassouf & Luca Tiberti & Marcos Garcias, 2020. "Evidence of the Impact of Children’s Household Chores and Market Labour on Learning from School Census Data in Brazil," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(11), pages 2097-2112, November.
    8. Deborah Levison & Deborah S. DeGraff & Esther W. Dungumaro, 2018. "Implications of Environmental Chores for Schooling: Children’s Time Fetching Water and Firewood in Tanzania," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 30(2), pages 217-234, April.
    9. 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).
    10. Andrew Harvey & Arun Mukhopadhyay, 2007. "When Twenty-Four Hours is not Enough: Time Poverty of Working Parents," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 82(1), pages 57-77, May.
    11. Porter, Gina & Hampshire, Kate & Abane, Albert & Munthali, Alister & Robson, Elsbeth & Mashiri, Mac & Tanle, Augustine & Maponya, Goodhope & Dube, Sipho, 2012. "Child Porterage and Africa’s Transport Gap: Evidence from Ghana, Malawi and South Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(10), pages 2136-2154.
    12. Seymour,Greg & Malapit,Hazel Jean & Quisumbing,Agnes R., 2017. "Measuring time use in development settings," Policy Research Working Paper Series 8147, The World Bank.
    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. André Cieplinski & Simone D'Alessandro & Chandni Dwarkasing & Pietro Guarnieri, 2022. "Narrowing women’s time and income gaps: an assessment of the synergies between working time reduction and universal income schemes," Working Papers 250, Department of Economics, SOAS University of London, UK, revised Apr 2022.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. Joachim Merz & Tim Rathjen, 2014. "Time And Income Poverty: An Interdependent Multidimensional Poverty Approach With German Time Use Diary Data," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 60(3), pages 450-479, September.
    5. Ajit Zacharias & Thomas Masterson & Kijong Kim, 2014. "Can Child-care Subsidies Reduce Poverty? Assessing the Korean Experience Using the Levy Institute Measure of Time and Income Poverty," Economics Public Policy Brief Archive ppb_136, Levy Economics Institute.
    6. Joachim Merz & Tim Rathjen, 2014. "Multidimensional time and income poverty: well-being gap and minimum 2DGAP poverty intensity – German evidence," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 12(4), pages 555-580, December.
    7. Gudina Terefe Tucho & Henri C. Moll & Anton J. M. Schoot Uiterkamp & Sanderine Nonhebel, 2016. "Problems with Biogas Implementation in Developing Countries from the Perspective of Labor Requirements," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-16, September.
    8. 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).
    9. Ajit Zacharias & Thomas Masterson & Emel Memis, 2014. "How Poor Is Turkey? And What Can Be Done About It?," Economics Public Policy Brief Archive ppb_132, Levy Economics Institute.
    10. Erica Aloè, 2023. "Time and Income Poverty Measurement. An Ongoing Debate on the Inclusion of Time in Poverty Assessment," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 169(1), pages 283-322, September.
    11. 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.
    12. 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.
    13. Edward Martey, 2022. "Blessing or Burden: The Elderly and Household Welfare in Ghana," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 162(2), pages 803-827, July.
    14. Diane Coffey & Ashwini Deshpande & Jeffrey Hammer & Dean Spears, 2019. "Local Social Inequality, Economic Inequality, and Disparities in Child Height in India," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(4), pages 1427-1452, August.
    15. Joachim Merz & Tim Rathjen, 2011. "Intensity of Time and Income Interdependent Multidimensional Poverty: Well-Being and Minimum 2DGAP – German Evidence," FFB-Discussionpaper 92, Research Institute on Professions (Forschungsinstitut Freie Berufe (FFB)), LEUPHANA University Lüneburg.
    16. Frempong, Raymond Boadi & Orkoh, Emmanuel & Kofinti, Raymond Elikplim, 2021. "Household's use of cooking gas and Children's learning outcomes in rural Ghana," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    17. Janet Currie & Tom Vogl, 2013. "Early-Life Health and Adult Circumstance in Developing Countries," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 5(1), pages 1-36, May.
    18. Scharadin, Benjamin, 2022. "The efficacy of the dependent care deduction at maintaining diet quality," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    19. Rahman, Md. Mizanur & Hasan, Mohammad Mahmodul & Paatero, Jukka V. & Lahdelma, Risto, 2014. "Hybrid application of biogas and solar resources to fulfill household energy needs: A potentially viable option in rural areas of developing countries," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 35-45.
    20. Anna Zsofia Bajomi & Nóra Feldmár & Sergio Tirado-Herrero, 2021. "Will Plans to Ease Energy Poverty Go Up in Smoke? Assessing the Hungarian NECP through the Lens of Solid Fuel Users’ Vulnerabilities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-20, November.

    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:365-397. 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.