Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41129541›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Do women's autonomy lessen the brunt of unequal household responsibilities in the patriarchal context of semi-arid Northern Ghana?

Sulemana Ansumah Saaka, Isaac Luginaah

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Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Sulemana Ansumah SaakaDepartment of Geography and Environment, Faculty of Social Science, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2058-220X
Isaac LuginaahDepartment of Geography and Environment, Faculty of Social Science, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGendered roles and household responsibilities characterize the social fabric of many patriarchal societies where traditional norms often dictate a clear division of labor between men and women. These deeply entrenched gendered expectations, for several decades, continue to shape the daily lives, opportunities, the physical and psychological wellbeing of women. In the semi-arid regions of Ghana, patriarchy and traditional gender norms are particularly pronounced. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Utilizing data from a cross-sectional survey (N = 1100 smallholder farmers), this study examined the role of women's autonomy on shared-household responsibilities (SHRs). The composite measure of women's autonomy was statistically robust (α = 0.823).

resultsWomen's autonomy was associated with increased odds of shared responsibility for childcare (OR=1.872; P < 0.001) but less so with laundry (OR=0.635; P < 0.001) and food preparation (OR=0.764; P < 0.05). However, female-headed households were more associated with shared responsibility for laundry (OR=5.617; P < 0.001) and food preparation (OR=2.546; P < 0.05) with no significant observation for childcare. Regarding marital structure, polygamous households were less associated with shared responsibility for laundry (OR=0.233; P < 0.01) and food preparation (OR=0.361; P < 0.01) with no significant observation for childcare. Moreover, religion, age, and household wealth significantly predicted shared household responsibilities in the study context.

conclusionsWomen's autonomy is strongly associated with shared responsibility for childcare, but less associated with laundry and food preparation in Semi-Arid Northern Ghana, with notable differences based on household headship, marital structure, religion, age, and wealth. Findings underscore the need for more policies and programs that seeks to empower women at the household levels in rural agrarian settings.

Indexed as

Family CharacteristicsGender RolePersonal AutonomyWomen's RightsAdolescentAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleGhanaHumansMaleMiddle AgedYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID41129541
PMCPMC12548890

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