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Participation by Men and Women in Off-Farm Activities: an Empirical Analysis in Rural Northern Ghana

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  • McCarthy, Nancy
  • Sun, Yan

Abstract

The paper evaluates the household- and community-level factors influencing women’s and men’s decisions to participate in off-farm activities, either in the off-farm labor market or in local community groups, and the relationship with on-farm crop returns. Results reveals female participation in off-farm labor markets increases at higher levels of labor availability, and female on-farm work and group participation are complementary activities. Results also indicate that male labor is relatively more productive on-farm versus off-farm than female labor. Finally, the study shows that education increases the likelihood for both women and men to work off-farm, although the impact is greater for women.

Suggested Citation

  • McCarthy, Nancy & Sun, Yan, 2009. "Participation by Men and Women in Off-Farm Activities: an Empirical Analysis in Rural Northern Ghana," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 51040, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:iaae09:51040
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.51040
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    Cited by:

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    2. Martey, Edward & Etwire, Prince Maxwell & Adusah-Poku, Frank & Akoto, Isaac, 2022. "Off-farm work, cooking energy choice and time poverty in Ghana: An empirical analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    3. Gayatri Koolwal & Dominique van de Walle, 2013. "Access to Water, Women's Work, and Child Outcomes," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 61(2), pages 369-405.
    4. Alex Almeida & Boris Bravo-Ureta, 2011. "Agricultural Productivity And Off-Farm Labor Decisions By Heads And Spouses In Nicaragua: A Semiparametric Analysis Using Panel Data," ERSA conference papers ersa11p508, European Regional Science Association.
    5. Ma, Shaoyue & Man, Hecheng & Li, Xiao & Xu, Xiangbo & Sun, Mingxing & Xie, Minghui & Zhang, Linxiu, 2023. "How nonfarm employment drives the households’ energy transition: Evidence from rural China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).
    6. Gideon, Danso-Abbeam & Brightina, A.A. Abban & Samuel, A. Donkoh, 2017. "Off-Farm Participation And Technical Efficiency Among Smallholder Farmers In The Northern Region, Ghana," APSTRACT: Applied Studies in Agribusiness and Commerce, AGRIMBA, vol. 11(1-2), September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Labor and Human Capital;

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets

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