Question: What makes a woman a woman in this country?

What defines a Ghanaian woman is a complex and somewhat region-specific question to answer. Because Ghana is made up of various regions, all with their own languages, customs, and tribes, it is difficult to make a general description that is applicable to every woman here. Some areas are very traditional, while others are transitioning towards a modern way of understanding gender roles. Therefore, a few examples will be used in this post in attempt to provide a broader scope about what makes a woman, a woman in Ghana.

Within the Krobo community, in the Eastern Region of Ghana, lies an extremely traditional rite of passage for teenage girls. This ritual, referred to as Dipo, is a puberty rite that signifies a Ghanaian girl’s transition from child to woman. It is performed once a year, and lasts from three to seven days, even though it traditionally has lasted one to three years. Story dictates that this tradition came about due to a woman’s jealousy of the boy’s rite of passage; circumcision. The woman was jealous because this circumcision rite brought upon gifts and prestige to the boys, but young girls had no rites of passage. Therefore, Dipo was created. Throughout the length of the ritual, young girls are groomed for adulthood. “During the seclusion stage of the rite, the girls undergo a form of training through which they are taught personal hygiene, home management, how to care for their spouse and children- in other words, preparing them for marriage,” (Adinku, 2016). The ritual consists of a series of complex challenges designed to test and prepare the girl for womanhood.

In contrast to the Dipo ritual, a study in 2018 was performed to analyze the dynamic gender stereotypes in Ghana from the past, present and future (Bosak, Eagly, Diekman, Sczesny, 2018). Since its independence from British rule in 1957, Ghana has undergone dramatic changes in its social climate. While some gender disparities still remain, gender equality has relatively improved. “From 1960 to 2010, the percentage of women who never attended school decreased from 83.0% to 28.3%,” (Bosak, Eagly, Diekman, Sczesny, 2018). Additionally, the amount of women in the paid labor force has increased simultaneously as the amount of women who perform domestic-only duties, has decreased. Not only have gender roles and equality shifted, but so have the attitudes of Ghanaians. Therefore, this study set out to find the truth in regards to these changes. Study participants were asked to assign gender roles to “the average woman” and to “the average man” as they saw fit given the time periods of 1950, the present, and 2050. What researchers saw was that participants perceived women and man gaining counter-stereotypical traits, or nontraditional traits, as time progressed from 1950, present and 2050. However, some typical stereotypes remained intact, which is to be predicted.

Mari Sasano writes a piece titled “Gender equality a challenge for women in Ghana” on the Global News website. Here, they discuss the challenges that women in the Volta Region of Ghana face. In this area, women are more likely to perform unpaid domestic labor, be involved in domestic violence and drop out of school. However, this is beginning to shift with the help of foreign aid and the cognitive switch of gender related stereotypes amongst the men within the Volta Region.

We can see that what defines a Ghanaian woman not only varies amongst regions, but it also varies throughout time. Gender equality gaps are closing in some places while remaining stagnant in others. But the important thing to note is that gender stereotypes are being challenged and redefined. What once defined a traditional Ghanaian woman may no longer be applicable.

Resources

Adinku, G. U. (2016). Dipo: The Krobo Ghanaian Puberty Rite and Art. Matatu, 48(2), 450-474.

Bosak, J., Eagly, A., Diekman, A., & Sczesny, S. (2017). Women and Men of the Past, Present, and Future: Evidence of Dynamic Gender Stereotypes in Ghana. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 49(1), 115-129.

Sasano, M. (2015, May 26). Gender equality a challenge for women in Ghana. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/content/2018025/gender-equality-a-challenge-for-women-in-ghana/