Study of Farm Workload Faced by Wives in Migrant and Non-Migrant Households in the Savannah Agro-Ecological Zone in Ghana

Authors

  • John Agyei
  • George Asumadu
  • Faustina Osei

Keywords:

Out-migration, Household, Farm workload, Poverty, Livelihood

Abstract

Out-migration of husbands is considered to be a solution to poverty to the extent that it could enable households left behind achieve improvement in welfare. Owing to low application of technology in crop farming, wives in some households left behind had to contend with excessive workload. This study assessed effects of out-migration of husbands on wives left behind in terms of farm workload; hiring of labour and its implications for household wellbeing. The study adopted mixed methods research approach and employed both qualitative and quantitative data generated through household survey. Among other things, the paper indicates that wives in both migrant and non-migrant households displayed active participation in farming activities. It emerged that though there are remittances inflow, out-migration of husbands leads to excessive farm workload on wives left behind and increased their dependence on hiring of labour. The paper advocates provision of small-scale dams to boost farm output; and use of modern farming technology to help reduce the drudgery that women in farming households especially those left behind have to contend with.

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Published

2022-01-27

Issue

Section

Articles