It's not all about wealth and beauty: Changing perceptions of fatness among Makola market women of Accra,Ghana

Within the African context, body shape preferences may be influenced by culture without necessarily taking into consideration health implications. Thus, fatness is culturally associated with beauty, prosperity, and prestige while thinness is perceived as a sign of ill‐health or poverty. Using a cross section of Makola market women, who traditionally are perceived as fat and affluent, our findings revealed that the perception of fatness as a sign of richness and beauty is changing due to women's access to knowledge and information on the health implications of fatness. The challenge for these women however, is adhering to healthy lifestyles despite living sedentary lives in the market place which is a conducive environment for one to become fat. We recommend that qualified professionals should encourage these women through continuous programmes on regenerative health and nutrition aimed at healthy lifestyle behaviour at the market places. The social groups that women belong to should be targeted, trained and equipped with the right information on healthy living so that they can disseminate this information to other members of their networks.     

REFLECTIONS ON INDIGENOUS WOMEN'S ORGANISATIONS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: A COMPARATIVE STUDY IN BRONG AHAFO REGION, GHANA

This paper explores the activities and problems of indigenous women's organisations in Ghana. The survey data that form the basis of the analysis were collected in 1998 from a sample of 66 women's organisations in the districts of Atebubu and Techiman of Brong Ahafo Region in Ghana. The results suggest that despite the debilitating impacts of patriarchy, poverty and illiteracy, the women in both districts have managed to use their grassroots organisations to improve the socioeconomic circumstances of their members in particular and their communities in general. Given the dearth of theoretical and empirical analyses on grassroots mobilisation of women in sub‐Saharan Africa, the results presented here are intended to stimulate further research and discussion on the subject.     

加纳西南部毕雷绵岩系中含稀有金属矿化的花岗质伟晶岩及其流体包裹体特征

加纳西南部的伟晶岩区沿大西洋海岸线从开普口斯特市经索特旁德镇到门凯德兹镇最后到威尼巴镇,总共延伸上百千米,这些伟晶岩主要产于加纳毕雷绵岩系之中,形成了依镖尼造山作用（约２．０Ｇａ）的减弱期,与侵入了毕雷绵岩系中的开普口斯特花岗质杂岩（ＣＣＧＣ）密切相关,ＣＣＧＣ杂岩主要由二云母花岗岩,变闪长岩和细晶岩组成。其中花岗岩为铝过饱和度的Ｉ型花岗岩,富碱质（Ｎａ＝２％～４．２％,Ｋ＝２．３％～５．８％）,     

Urban planning and politics in Ghana

Through an analysis of Ghana’s political and administrative structure, which established the basis of urban planning practice, this paper shows how urban planning has failed to create liveable and functional cities in Ghana. This paper uses semi-structured interviews and agency consultations to supplement document reviews and news paper articles to address the dearth of research on the subject in Ghana. Findings show that dominant political elites, with little or no urban planning background, control and dictate urban planning activities resulting in chaotic scenes and urban blight across Ghanaian cities. Analyses here reinforce the growing recognition that urban planning outcomes in Ghana, and most African countries are not shaped by professional practice and do not reflect the aspirations of the community, but instead political elites. Urban planning agencies are left vulnerable as their activities are interfered, dictated and hindered by both traditional and mainstream political elites. This paper advocates for independence of urban planning agencies in the performance of their duties.     

SMALL‐SCALE INDUSTRY AS A SPONGE? EMPIRICAL SURVEY IN THE CENTRAL REGION,GHANA

It has been posited that small‐scale industry – businesses with less than 30 workers – provides a large share of employment and income in Ghana. This paper examines the proposition that while such enterprises in the informal sector are said to act as a sponge to soak up surplus labour in marginal activities, they are unprofitable. Using data from a survey in 1998 of 175 micro and small‐scale enterprises in the Central Region of Ghana, the paper also confirms problematic aspects of employment in this sector including the lack of formal contracts, irregular pay, low remuneration, non‐existent social protection and only marginal employment growth. The implication is that the small‐scale industry sector is not economically sustainable in its present form in Ghana.     

Causes and Effects of Coastal Sand Mining in Ghana

Sand mining is a type of open-cast mining that provides material for the construction sector in Ghana. The construction sector in the coastal areas of Ghana relies heavily on coastal sand and pebbles in the building of houses, bridges and roads. Its contribution to Ghana's industrial output has increased from 17.4 per cent in 1986 to 20.8 per cent in 1993. However, the process of sand mining has accelerated coastal environmental degradation to an alarming rate in many areas. As a result the government has been compelled to spend millions of dollars to combat sea erosion. This paper examines the causes and effects of coastal sand mining in three communities in the Ahanta West District of Ghana. It argues that coastal sand needs to be exploited to satisfy human demands but this requires efficient and effective resource management to ensure sustainable development. It also calls for a concerted effort by policy makers, sand contractors, engineers, traditional rulers and local residents to find a solution to the coastal environmental crisis.     

Gender and climate change linkages in the semi-arid region of Ghana

GeoJournal - Climate change is projected to have a serious impact on all sectors of the world. The agriculture sector is one of the most vulnerable sectors with implications for smallholder farmers...     

Problems of Artisanal Marine Fishermen in Ghana: The Way Ahead

Marine fishing is an important traditional economic activity of the coastal communities in Ghana and contributes over 80 per cent of the total fish catch. The traditional sector accounts for over 75 per cent of the marine catch. The small-scale artisanal marine fishing communities, which contribute less than 30 per cent of the traditional sector landings, are generally characterised by low levels of production and, hence, low incomes, poor living conditions and chronic indebtedness. Based on field data on artisanal fishing communities in the Ahanta West and Gomoa districts, this paper summarises the chronic problems of artisanal fishermen that perpetuate their precarious existence in the coastal environment. Overcoming the problems of these increasingly marginalised and migrant communities calls for the provision of supplementary employment opportunities, improved social services and the formation of solidarity groups to enhance access to micro credit. These would require technical and management training as well as support services from government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).