Characteristics of informal sector activities and challenges faced by women in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

Figures & data

Figure 1. The study communities in the Kumasi Metropolis.

Table 1. Characteristics of economic activities of informal sector operators by spatial location

Variable	Response	Business Location								P-value
		High class		Slum		Periphery		Total
		N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%
Type of ownership of business	Sole Proprietorship	112	91.8	87	91.6	131	94.2	330	92.7	0.277
	Family Partnership	9	7.4	8	8.4	5	3.6	22	6.2
	Cooperative	1	0.8	0	0.0	3	2.2	4	1.1
	Total	122	100.0	95	100.0	139	100.0	356	100.0

Table 2. Constraints of women in the IFS activities

Question	Response	Residence								P-value
		High class		Slums		Periphery		Total
		N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%
Do you have challenges with the present activity?	Yes	46	37.7	19	20.0	45	32.4	110	30.9	0.018*
	No	76	62.3	76	80.0	94	67.6	246	69.1

Table 3. Specific challenges faced by female IFS operators

Challenges	Business Location								P-value
	High class		Slums		Periphery		Total
	N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%
Lack of customers	46	37.7	28	29.5	43	30.9	117	32.9	0.363
Non-payment of debts	6	4.9	5	5.3	6	4.3	17	4.8	0.942
Taxes and license fees	12	9.8	1	1.1	3	2.2	16	4.5	0.002
Unavailability of finance	9	7.4	6	6.3	11	7.9	26	7.3	0.898
Lack of space	11	9.0	5	5.3	5	3.6	21	5.9	0.171
Lack of capital equipment	11	9.0	6	6.3	4	2.9	21	5.9	0.108
Difficulties with existing regulation	6	4.9	0	0.0	8	5.8	14	3.9	0.066

Table 4. Age and challenges faced by women in the IFS

Variable	P-value	Exp (B)	95% C.I. for EXP(B)
			Lower	Upper
Age
≤30 years (Reference group).		1.00
31–40 years	0.313	0.310	0.032	3.022
41–50 years	0.483	1.791	0.352	9.123
51–60 years	0.557	2.000	0.198	20.192
Above 60	0.032	8.000	1.194	53.591

(OR = odd ratio, CI = confidence interval, P = probability value)

Table 6. Education and challenges by women in the IFS

Variable	P-value	Exp(B)	95% C.I.for EXP(B)
			Lower	Upper
Education	0.896
None/no formal education(Reference group)		1.00
Primary	0.790	0.800	0.155	4.118
JHS/JSS/Middle School	0.320	0.461	0.100	2.123
SHS/Technical/Vocational	0.997	0.000	0.000	.
Tertiary	0.999	0.000	0.000	.
	0.000	0.054

Table 7. Education of husband and challenges faced in the IFS

Variable	p-value	Exp(B)	95% C.I.for EXP(B)
			Lower	Upper
Education of husband
None/no formal education (Reference group)		1.00
Primary	0.350	0.418	0.067	2.606
JHS/JSS/Middle School	0.136	0.288	0.056	1.478
SHS/Technical/Vocational	0.249	0.341	0.055	2.123
Tertiary	0.999	0.000	0.000

Table 8. Family size and challenges faced by women in the IFS

Variable	Df	P-value	Exp(B)	95% C.I. for EXP(B)
				Lower	Upper
Family size
1–2 (Reference group)			1.00
3–4	1	0.275	2.520	0.480	13.224
5–6	1	0.219	3.121	0.508	19.159
above 7	1	0.998	0.000	0.000	.

Table 5. Marital status and challenges faced by women in the IFS

Variable	P-value	Exp (B)	95% C.I. for EXP(B)
			Lower	Upper
Marital status
Single (Reference group).		1.00
Married	0.282	3.156	0.389	25.612
Widowed	0.342	3.909	0.235	65.000
Divorced	0.999	0.000	0.000	.