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Gender, poverty, and nonfarm employment in Ghana and Uganda

Author

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  • Newman, Constance
  • Canagarajah, Sudharshan

Abstract

The authors provide evidence that women's non-farm activities help reduce poverty in two economically and culturally different countries, Ghana and Uganda. In both countries rural poverty rates were lowest - and fell most rapidly - for female heads of household engaged in non-farm activities. Participation in non-farm activities increased more rapidly for women, especially married women and female heads of household, than for men. Women were more likely than men to combine agriculture and non-farm activities. In Ghana it was non-farm activities (for which income data are available ) that provided the highest average incomes and the highest shares of income. Bivariate profit analysis of participation shows that in Uganda female heads of household and in Ghana women in general are significantly more likely than men to participate in non-farm activities and less likely to participate in agriculture.

Suggested Citation

  • Newman, Constance & Canagarajah, Sudharshan, 2000. "Gender, poverty, and nonfarm employment in Ghana and Uganda," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2367, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:2367
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Bagamba, Fredrick & Burger, Kees & Kuyvenhoven, Arie, 2007. "Determinants of smallholder farmer labour allocation decisions in Uganda," 106th Seminar, October 25-27, 2007, Montpellier, France 7920, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    3. Swati Dutta, 2021. "Structural and stochastic transitions of poverty using household panel data in India," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 13(1), pages 8-31, March.
    4. Olabimtan Adebowale & David Lawson, 2018. "How does access to formal finance affect household welfare dynamics? Micro evidence from Nigeria," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 242018, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    5. 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.
    6. Maganga, Assa M. & Chiwaula, Levison & Kambewa, Patrick, 2021. "Climate induced vulnerability to poverty among smallholder farmers: Evidence from Malawi," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 21(C).
    7. Maitreyi Bordia Das, 2003. "The other side of self-employment : household enterprises in India," Social Protection Discussion Papers and Notes 27873, The World Bank.
    8. Yakovleva, Natalia, 2007. "Perspectives on female participation in artisanal and small-scale mining: A case study of Birim North District of Ghana," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(1-2), pages 29-41.

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