Risk, Support and Resilience: A Study of Northern Ghanaian Migrant Teenage Mothers Resident in Accra, Ghana

Abstract

Teenage girls from northern Ghana, independently migrate to the urban centres of the south to seek economic opportunities. Most of these teenage girls end up living on the streets of the urban centres they migrate to and often are at risk of sexual abuse. The prevalence of pregnancy and childbearing is increasing among these girls. However, little is known about the experiences and challenges of these teenage girls during pregnancy and post-delivery. This study, examined the lived experience, the coping strategies and the factors that influence resilience among migrant teenage girls in Accra. The study adopted a sequential exploratory design which involved two phases of data collection. Thematic analysis was conducted on phase one of the qualitative data which involved 20 in-depth interviews and four focus group discussions. Derived themes were built into the design of a structured questionnaire and administered to 250 respondents through face-to-face interviews that concluded phase two of the data collection process. In both phases of data collection, respondent-driven sampling was employed. This sampling technique involved a chain referral and peer recruitment of participants. The results indicate that: poverty, deprivation and the lack of economic opportunities in northern Ghana account for the massive drift of teenage girls to Accra. The results revealed that the girls went through traumatic experiences during pregnancy, childbirth and childcare. The girls lived in deplorable conditions on the streets and faced difficulties accessing healthcare for themselves and their babies. They lacked social support and knowledge on institutions that provide welfare services in the city. They suffered physical and sexual abuses, exploitation, harassment and severe stigmatization from health workers, the public and shop owners. In an attempt to manage these problems, the girls adopted coping strategies in the form of bringing younger siblings to babysit; carrying babies on their back; rotational childcare arrangements; teaming up with peers to cook; keeping sharp objects and wearing tight jeans to ward-off potential thieves and rapists and picking of boyfriends as a means to secure sleeping places. Faith in God, adoption of ethnic ties, earning income, savings and remittances, were qualitative factors that propelled resilience while quantitatively: jobs in the city, peer support, access to accommodation, age of respondent, and living with partner in the city, influenced resilience among migrant teenage girls who live on the streets of Accra. The study recommends that the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection should adopt a two-generation policy approach that will aim at addressing issues of migrant teenage girls and their children in Accra. Specifically, the Ministry should provide teen parenting support centres at major markets and suburbs in the city where teenage girls could freely receive services including: ‘adult’ learning; skills training; how to set up micro businesses; professional counselling on parenting; and so forth as envisaged in the National Youth Policy. These centres should also be designed to provide services where migrant teenage girls could drop-in with their children, have their children receive early learning and development, receive primary healthcare and nutrition among many others. A future study may consider looking at the developmental challenges of children of migrant teenage girls in the city as a means to inform needs driven programs as proposed for the establishment of teen parenting support centres in the major markets and suburbs of the city.