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Men Play, Women Break the Town: Gender and Intergenerational Asymmetry in Sexual and Reproductive Worldview Among the Ga of Ghana

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Abstract

A contemporary critique levelled against sexual and reproductive (SR) behavioral studies in Africa is the dominance of Western theories and perspectives, with the main language through which SR categories and concepts are developed and investigated being Western or colonial, which rarely correspond with local and ethnic conceptualizations. In this paper, we conduct an ethnolinguistic analysis of gender and intergenerational constructions of sexual and reproductive behaviors (SRB) among the Ga of Ghana. Ethnographic approaches were used to collect and analyze two data sources from seventy-two respondents; first, a lexicon of common words, phrases, terminologies and coinages on SR activities and relationships. Second, narratives on respondents’ major SR experiences, through a biography of respondents’ body methodological framework. Respondents reflected a high degree of conceptual baggage, underpinned by their own gendered SR experiences, in their selection and interpretation of the terminologies/words. Younger respondents were more likely to use flippant coinages for risky SRB, which resonate with their narratives on their casual and unrestrained SR behaviours. We discuss the SR health threats and opportunities of our findings.

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Notes

  1. This served as an important trading hub for West Africans. This demolition was led by ex-President Jerry Rawling’s revolution.

  2. Many of these have also been experienced by other ethnic groups.

  3. The team had Anthropologists, an Ethno-linguistic, Demographers, and Medical Doctors.

  4. Two of the authors are Ga, born and raised in Accra, and speak and read Ga fluently.

  5. Coinages are used among peer groups.

  6. Euphemisms are commonly used to show politeness.

  7. We refer to Mr. E. T. Abbey.

  8. A term found in the Ga-English dictionary for “penis” (Dakubu 1999).

  9. All the words are listed in the Ga-English dictionary.

  10. As defined in the Ga-English dictionary.

  11. Mr ET Abbey indicates that: “A woman who has given birth has no toto (immature vagina) because she is grown. It is wrong when people insult others and say “onye toto” (your mother’s toto). It should be onye sor because a mother cannot have toto”.

  12. Ritual food that symbolizes victory.

  13. Found in the Ga-English dictionary.

  14. Also found in the Ga-English dictionary but the root of the word is not provided.

  15. As defined by in the Ga-English dictionary.

  16. Note the gender neutrality of the object “someone”.

  17. A renowned expert on Ga language and social history.

  18. Found in the dictionary.

  19. The same word is used for a fornicator in the Ga-English dictionary.

  20. The word is the same word used for stale food etc.

  21. This is the same term that is used for douching or enema.

  22. The same phrase used for all forms of aggression including aggressive playing by children.

  23. This particular woman referred to rape as basabasa feemo (doing something in a disorganized way).

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by UNFPA, Senegal (Project Reference Number RAF6R21A), and conducted with the support of the Takemi Program in International Health at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. We are grateful to Professor Yannick Jaffre (Director of Research at SHADYC-EHESS-CNRS, Marseille, France) for directing and facilitating the multi-site field research. We also thank Professor Mary Jo D. Good (Harvard Medical School) and Professor Ana Langer (Harvard School of Public Health) for their most valuable comments on the draft.

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  1. Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana

    Deborah Atobrah & Albert K. Awedoba

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  1. Deborah Atobrah
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Correspondence to Deborah Atobrah.

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All procedures performed in the study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national guidelines. The protocol was reviewed by the Office of Human Research Administration of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Protocol Number IRB 15-3667.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Atobrah, D., Awedoba, A.K. Men Play, Women Break the Town: Gender and Intergenerational Asymmetry in Sexual and Reproductive Worldview Among the Ga of Ghana. Sexuality & Culture 21, 860–881 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-017-9426-x

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