Income generating activities of women and their contribution to household expenditure - the case of Keta district, Ghana

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1996-06-07
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Throughout the developing countries women contribute substantially to the household budget through their income generating activities. Despite their increasing contribution to the household budget, the household’s standards of living continue to deteriorate. This is mainly as a result of the inadequacy of income mobilised from these activities, coupled with the ever escalating prices of consumer goods and increased dependency ratio. This study is based on the assumption that an attempt to increase women’s household production will increase their household’s consumption and ultimately increase the household standards of living. The study assesses the magnitude of women’s contribution to the household production and consumption activities. The study further identifies various constraining factors encountered by these women in their endeavour to supplement the household budget. A sample of women engaged in fish processing, farming, and petty trading was selected randomly. Major findings of the study indicated that women spend longer hours engaged in economic activities and household chores, yet they earn less than their male counterparts. Despite their low income women contributed more to household expenditure from income generated. In addition, when their contribution to household chores was quantified it amounted to about 28.6 per cent of the total household expenditure. Despite this significant contribution their income remains far from adequate. The study identified the constraining factors as high illiteracy rates, lack of training, low access to credit facilities, marketing problems, among others. To solve some of these problems the study proposes three programmes. These programmes are education/training, economic enhancement, and co-ordination enhancement. The cumulative effect of the implementation of these programmes is expected to be economic empowerment of women in Keta district. Ultimately this is expected to improve the household standards of living. To complement these programmes there is the need to make policies at the national level that covers every aspect of women in society. Through the co-ordination of the project staff of NCWD (National council of women and development), Keta District Assembly, and other agencies, policies aimed at integrating women fully into the mainstream of rural development programmes should be formulated.
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A thesis submitted to the Board of Postgraduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the Degree of Master of Science in Development Planning and Management, 1996
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