Suchergebnisse

The concept of 'queenmother' is not new in Africa. Scholars have indicated the importance of this institution in Ghanaian traditional political system. With increasing women's empowerment, there is a growing realization that women are co-agents of nation building resulting in the expansion of roles of queen mothers as conduits of development. Consequently, patriarchal societies without queen mothers such as the Upper West Region (UWR) of Ghana are encouraged to install one. While this practice has been going on for centuries in matriarchate, its replication in patriarchates raises questions and concerns. Using interpretative methods involving focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with traditional leaders and elders, this research explored the perceptions and challenges of this emerging concept in the UWR. The concept as practiced in matriarchate has been adopted wholesale into patriarchates and this may have led to the perceived nonfunctional nature of the concept. This concept also conflicts with the traditional and deep-seated cultural values of the people, especially those related to the marriage institution. Furthermore, the perceived roles of queen mothers seem to conflict with those already performed by traditionally recognized 'Tindaamba' and 'pognaaba'. To avoid potential conflicts already existing women leaders (pognaaba) should play the role of 'queenmothers' in these societies.

AbstractIn recent years, out migration from the Upper West Region to the southern belt of Ghana for farming has become commonplace. The natural question that has arisen is: what is the potential impact of remittances from this migration pattern on food security in the region? Using multivariate ordered logistic regression this study assesses the linkage between remittances and household food security (derived using the HFIAS) among urban and rural households (n=1,438) in the region. The findings show that urban remittance‐receiving households and rural remittance and non‐remittance receiving households were more likely (OR=2.44, p<0.05; OR=2.46, p<0.001; and OR=1.49, p<0.1, respectively) to report being more severely food‐insecure than urban non‐remittance receiving households. The findings demonstrate that household strategies such as migration and remittances on their own are not sufficient to ameliorate the precarious food insecurity situation of the region. The study calls for development of alternative livelihoods in the region.

Abstract Background The Ghana Community based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) strategy targets to bring health services to the doorsteps of clients in a manner that improves maternal and child health outcomes. In this strategy, referral is an important component but it is threatened in a rural context where transportation service is a problem. Few studies have examined perceptions of rural dwellers on transportation challenges in accessing maternal health care services within CHPS. Methods Using the political ecology of health framework, this paper investigates transportation barriers in health access in a rural context based on perceived cause, coping mechanisms and strategies for a sustainable transportation system. Eight (8) focus group discussions involving males ( n = 40) and females ( n = 45) in rural communities in a CHPS zone in the Upper West Region of Ghana were conducted between September and December 2013. Results Lack of vehicular transport is suppressing the potential positive impact of CHPS on maternal and child health. Consistent neglect of road infrastructural development and endemic poverty in the study area makes provision of alternative transport services for health care difficult. As a result, pregnant women use risky methods such as bicycle/tricycle/motorbikes to access obstetric health care services, and some turn to traditional medicines and traditional birth attendants for maternal health care services. Conclusion These findings underscore the need for policy to address rural transport problems in order to improve maternal health. Community based transport strategy with CHPS is proposed to improve adherence to referral and access to emergency obstetric services.