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Women's empowerment and household food security in Ghana

Gloria Essilfie (Department of Economic Studies, School of Economics, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana) (Ghana Technology University College, Accra, Ghana)
Joshua Sebu (Department of Data Science and Economic Policy, School of Economics, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana)
Samuel Kobina Annim (Department of Applied Economics, School of Economics, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana)
Emmanuel Ekow Asmah (Department of Data Science and Economic Policy, School of Economics, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana)

International Journal of Social Economics

ISSN: 0306-8293

Article publication date: 17 December 2020

Issue publication date: 26 January 2021

824

Abstract

Purpose

This study adopts three dimensions of women’s empowerment: (1) relative education empowerment, (2) women's autonomy in decision-making and (3) domestic violence to examine the effect of women’s empowerment on household food security in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed the generalised ordered logit model (GOLM) and dominance analysis using a sample of 1,017 households from the seventh round of Ghana Living Standard Survey (GLSS7).

Findings

The findings from the study revealed that women’s empowerment proxied by relative years of schooling and women's decision-making were important indicators for improving household food security. Further, there exist varying dimensions of women’s empowerment in households, and these dimensions have a significant effect on the state of food security of households.

Originality/value

There are a number of studies on the effect of women's empowerment on food security. However, this study contributes to the literature by examining the varying effects of different dimensions of women’s empowerment on food security. This provides policymakers with a guide that looks at different levels of women’s empowerment and the combinations of women's empowerment dimensions that contribute for reducing food insecurity.

Keywords

Citation

Essilfie, G., Sebu, J., Annim, S.K. and Asmah, E.E. (2021), "Women's empowerment and household food security in Ghana", International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. 48 No. 2, pp. 279-296. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSE-05-2020-0328

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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