Work patterns and gender reproduction in the Talensi small-scale gold-mining industry in Ghana: Implications for social welfare policy

Abstract

Although women have access to work in the Talensi small-scale gold-mining industry in Ghana, gender inequities persist. This study analyzed these persistent gender differences, taking into consideration implications for social welfare policies. Based on 12 months of ethnographic fieldwork, the study examined how work organization in Talensi mining activities affects the values and meanings that influence gender roles. A purposive sampling technique and ethnographic methods, including audio-taped and semi-structured interviews and storytelling, were used as tools to collect and analyze the data. Findings show that normative values, symbolic representations, and meaning-making influence gender roles and practices, which reproduce gender inequities. This study contributes to an understanding of the fundamental issues underlying persistent gender inequities in the Talensi mines that lead to a lack of improvement in women's lives.