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Livelihood Vulnerabilities Among Women in Small-Scale Fisheries in Ghana

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Abstract

Women play essential role in the fisheries sector of Ghana, particularly their involvement in post-harvest activities. However, several factors make them vulnerable to livelihood insecurity. This paper investigates the livelihood vulnerabilities of women in small-scale fisheries in the Gomoa, West District of Ghana by constructing a multi-dimensional livelihood vulnerability index for women fish processors-traders and identifying the factors that make them vulnerable. The Alkire-Foster multi-dimensional measure was used to quantify livelihood vulnerability based on the capital assets identified in the Sustainable Livelihood Framework and alternative livelihood options explored. A beta regression model was used to further examine the effect of other socio-economic characteristics on their vulnerability. The results show that 70 per cent of the women surveyed were multi-dimensionally vulnerable to livelihood insecurity and were deprived in 80 percent of the indicators. The results of the beta regression revealed that differences in multi-dimensional vulnerability are explained by age, household size, household head, access to remittances, and post-harvest losses (fish spoilage). The paper provides valuable insights on how to build resilience of women in small-scale fisheries in Ghana. To sustain and enhance the livelihoods of women in the sector, policy interventions should focus on improving their access to livelihood resources, particularly social capital, as well as building human and institutional capacity.

Resumé

Les femmes jouent un rôle essentiel dans le secteur de la pêche au Ghana, en particulier à travers leur implication dans les activités qui se déroulent après la pêche. Cependant, en raison de plusieurs facteurs, ces femmes sont vulnérables aux aléas des moyens de subsistance. Cet article étudie la précarité des moyens de subsistance des femmes dans la pêche artisanale dans le district ouest de Gomoa au Ghana grâce à l’élaboration d’un indice de précarité des moyens de subsistance multidimensionnel pour les femmes impliquées dans la transformation et le commerce du poisson, et grâce à l’identification des facteurs qui les rendent vulnérables. La mesure multidimensionnelle Alkire-Foster est utilisée pour quantifier la précarité des moyens de subsistance en se basant sur les immobilisations identifiées dans le ‘Cadre des moyens de subsistance durables’, ainsi que sur la recherche d’options alternatives en guise de moyens de subsistance. Un modèle de régression bêta est utilisé pour étudier de plus près l'effet d'autres caractéristiques socio-économiques sur la vulnérabilité de ces femmes. Les résultats montrent que 70% des femmes interrogées étaient en situation de vulnérabilité multidimensionnelle face aux aléas de leurs moyens de subsistance et étaient démunies selon 80% des indicateurs. Les résultats de la régression bêta révèlent que les différences de vulnérabilité multidimensionnelle s'expliquent par l'âge, la taille du ménage, le chef de ménage, l'accès aux envois de fonds et les pertes qui surviennent après la pêche (détérioration du poisson). Cet article fournit des informations précieuses sur la manière de renforcer la résilience des femmes dans la pêche artisanale au Ghana. Pour soutenir et améliorer les moyens de subsistance des femmes dans ce secteur, les politiques publiques devraient se concentrer sur l'amélioration de l’accès des femmes aux moyens de subsistance, en particulier le capital social, ainsi que sur le renforcement des capacités humaines et institutionnelles.

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Fig. 1

Source Adapted from FANRPAN (2011) and Moser (1998)

Fig. 2

Source GIS unit, Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana

Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. In this study, the term “processors-traders” denotes women value chain actors who both process and trade fish as an economic activity.

  2. The beta regression commands in ‘R’ and other detailed results are presented in Appendix 2.

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Acknowledgements

This work was undertaken as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Fish Agrifood Systems (FISH) led by WorldFish. We thank all donors who support this program through their contributions to the CGIAR Fund.

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Appendices

Appendix 1: Correlation Matrix of the Indicators Used to Compute the Vulnerability Index and the Explnatory Variables Used for The Regression

 

Education

Diversification

Gadget

Network

Extension

Credit

Savings

Asset

Educ

1

       

Diversification

0.0588

1

      

Gadget

0.0652

0.0871

1

     

Network

− 0.0891

− 0.0108

0.0268

1

    

Extension

− 0.0045

− 0.0084

− 0.14

0.4073

1

   

Credit

0.0586

− 0.0283

− 0.019

0.1876

0.1267

1

  

Savings

0.1392

0.0886

0.1525

0.0708

0.0015

0.2242

1

 

Asset

0.006

− 0.0323

0.0357

0.1822

0.1159

0.1644

0.3297

1

Illness

− 0.055

0.0787

− 0.113

0.1602

0.1431

0.0534

− 0.115

0.0704

Fish access

− 0.0111

0.076

− 0.011

0.045

0.1332

0.0593

0.0541

− 0.0405

Age

− 0.2326

− 0.0358

0.0037

0.0717

0.0483

− 0.0276

− 0.096

0.082

Marital status

0.0029

0.0468

− 0.044

0.0792

0.0656

0.1054

0.0568

− 0.0274

Household head

− 0.0065

− 0.0122

− 0.034

0.0024

0.1082

− 0.0503

− 0.104

0.0641

Household size

− 0.1624

− 0.0646

− 0.008

− 0.015

− 0.1033

0.0185

− 0.084

− 0.0727

Experience

− 0.0878

− 0.0339

− 0.012

0.1355

0.0947

0.0443

− 0.142

0.0556

Remittance

0.054

0.2082

0.0966

− 0.055

− 0.0348

0.1296

0.2894

0.159

Fish spoilage

− 0.0586

− 0.1245

− 0.211

0.0295

0.0221

0.0163

− 0.057

− 0.0132

 

Illness

Fish access

Age

Marital Status

Household Head

Household Size

Experience

Remittance

Fish Spoilage

Educ

         

Diversification

         

Gadget

         

Network

         

Extension

         

Credit

         

Savings

         

Asset

         

Illness

1

        

Fish access

0.2109

1

       

Age

0.0078

− 0.025

1

      

Marital status

0.0246

− 0.044

− 0.2631

1

     

Household head

0.0341

0.0484

0.2493

− 0.7198

1

    

Household size

0.2033

0.0181

0.1634

0.033

− 0.0046

1

   

Experience

0.1573

0.0241

0.6129

− 0.1964

0.2209

0.1792

1

  

Remittance

− 0.045

− 0.03

− 0.0536

0.0716

− 0.157

− 0.126

− 0.0929

1

 

Fish spoilage

− 0.009

0.0435

− 0.0095

0.0037

0.0424

0.0507

0.0695

− 0.1428

1

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Appiah, S., Antwi-Asare, T.O., Agyire-Tettey, F.K. et al. Livelihood Vulnerabilities Among Women in Small-Scale Fisheries in Ghana. Eur J Dev Res 33, 1596–1624 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-020-00307-7

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