The Living Conditions of Female Head Porters in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

Abstract

Migration of the economically active population from northern to southern Ghana is an old age phenomenon sustained by the incessant perception of abundant job opportunities in the south. Recently, young girls and women who migrate to work as head porters have dominated the phenomenon. The purpose of this paper was to examine the reasons for their continuous migration to the Kumasi Metropolis and the conditions under which they live and work. Complementary data from 100 head porters and five institutions revealed that most of the head porters were children (under age 18) living in harsh and hazardous conditions which include poor housing, health care delivery, nutrition, and water and sanitation. The authors conclude that the relentless desire of young girls and women to work as head porters in the south and the associated poor living conditions could be minimised if youth policies are implemented with direct focus on capacity building for the head porters. The long-term remedy to the menace, the authors maintain, lies with socioeconomic development of the rural-supplying areas to bridge the development gap between the urban and rural areas.