Livelihood Strategies Of Male- And Female-Headed Households In Greater Accra Region Of Ghana

ABSTRACT

Over the past 15 years, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) in its Ghana Living Standards Surveys (GLSS) has used the consumption expenditure approach and has concluded that female-headed households are better-off than male-headed ones. This conclusion is contrary to the general view that female-headed households are disadvantaged. The consumption expenditure approach has been criticised by scholars for being one-dimensional, as it covers only a limited aspect of male- and female-headed households’ living conditions. In view of this criticism, this study adopts the livelihoods approach - a multidimensional perspective - to capture the multidimensional nature of living conditions in male- and female-headed households in three communities - Adedenkpo, James Town Beach, and Adenkrebi - in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Specifically, the study investigates the community, human, social, and financial and economic assets of male- and female-headed households, and how they utilize these assets in their livelihood strategies. The study utilized the concurrent mixed methods approach entailing the use of both quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques.

The study communities have different assets endowment and this affects the living conditions of of households. Adenkrebi is more endowed with natural assets than James Town Beach and Adedenkpo which aids households in Adenkrebi to diversify their livelihood activities. On the other hand, Adedenkpo and James Town Beach have more economic assets than Adenkrebi which allow households in these two communities to pursue their livelihood activities. The lack of economic assets such as motorable roads in Adenkrebi makes it difficult for the inhabitants to transport their farm produce to market centres.