“We are free when water is available”: gendered livelihood implications of sporadic water supply in Northern Ghana

ABSTRACT

Water shortages may present different and diverse implications for gender subgroups particularly in low-income settings. Yet, little research has documented the gendered livelihood implications of water shortages in Ghana. Based on a cross-sectional mixed method research involving a survey of 250 household heads and complemented with a qualitative study of 86 participants, the paper examines the differential effects of sporadic water supply in Tatale-Sanguli District of Northern Ghana. Our findings suggest that the livelihood effects of sporadic water supply in Tatale-Sanguli area are gendered, with females being disproportionately affected as compared to males. These differential effects are often framed by both gender role differentiation and inequities in access to vital productive resources and critical assets such as bicycles, tricycles and motor bikes. These findings highlight not only the need for local government and non-governmental organisations to step up efforts in water provision, but also to recognise the gendered effects of water shortages in Tatale-Sanguli District. Key to policy is also to ensure that programmatic interventions during water shortages take account of the likely gendered effects and differentiated burdens.

KEYWORDS:

• Gender
• livelihood
• sporadic
• water supply
• Northern Ghana

Acknowledgement

The authors acknowledge the assistance of Wilfred Kpante Npong and Isaac Gmaye Tangben in the collection of data for this research. We are also grateful to the Tatale-Sanguli District Assembly for providing us with information on water supply in the research communities. We also acknowledge the contributions of the traditional and opinion leaders of the study communities and the participants of this research for assisting us with the necessary information. Finally, we are grateful to Dr. Razak M Gyasi for his constructive comments at the initial stages of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

ORCID

Emmanuel Bintaayi Jeil http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3292-565X

Kabila Abass http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6662-6688

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.