Conference Proceedings and Papers
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Conference proceeding is a collection of academic papers published in the context of an academic conference or workshop. Conference proceedings typically contain the contributions made by researchers at the conference. They are the written record of the work that is presented to fellow researchers.
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Item Labour intensive public works and agricultural off-season employment: A case study of Ghana social opportunity programme(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Osei-Akoto, I.; Bawakyillenuo, S.; Owusu, G.; Offei, E.L.The Labour Intensive Public Works (LlPW) of the Ghana Social Opportunities Project (GSOP) was initiated by the Government of Ghana to provide targeted rural poor households access to local employment and income-earning opportunities during agricultural off-seasons. The key objectives of the programme were to protect households and communities against external shocks and; rehabilitate and improve productive and social infrastructure such as roads, dams and schools. The initiative was to mainly mitigate the effects of extreme poverty, particularly during agriculture off-seasons. This study assessed the impact of the L1PW project on labour force participation and employment generation during the off season in agriculture in Ghana. Panel data from two rounds of survey were used for this analysis and propensity score matching technique was used for the estimation of the average treatment effect. The results show that labour force participation increased by 7% in the lean season among beneficiary households relative to the non-beneficiaries. Paid employment among beneficiary households increased by 9.4% relative to the non-beneficiary households and the number of days spent in a week on paid work by beneficiary households increased by 30.8%. The average income received by L1PW beneficiary households from paid work was GHC 48.57 higher than the amount received by non-beneficiary households. The paper shares interesting results on sustainability of such innovative programmes that seek to lessen the burden of unemployment or under-employment in deprived communities during the lean agricultural season while creating vital infrastructure for eco nomic growthItem Gender analyses of community water resources management in Ga East municipal assembly(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Owusu, G.Much research has been done on the involvement of communities in water resources management, but little can be said about community water management through gender lenses. The study seeks to analyze the relationship between gender and portable water resources management in the Ga East District Assembly, Ghana. The Gender Ana lysis Matrix (GAM) was employed to determine the role of women in water management as well as the different impact that water development projects and intervention have on women and men. A semi-structured interview guide was employed to interview key water management informants such as board members, assemblymen/ women, and workers of Municipal Assembly. the community representatives had mostly males to be their chairman and secretary, while the females were organizers and hygiene educators. In water economics, the board raises two main sources of income for the management of the scheme: from stand pipes vendors and from water tariffs from households. About90% of the stand pipes are managed by women. On socio-cultural factors, the women on board had meetings with the community women to clean all the standpipes, reservoirs, and other parts of the towns every month. In conclusion, community water resources management in the study area is not gender blind but there should be involvement of middle income women residents and also sensitization of the communities to be gender sensitive when electing board members for water management.Item The role of social protection interventions in enhancing climate change adaptation and mitigation: The case of LIPW component of Ghana social opportunities projects (GSOP)(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Bawakyillenuo, S.; Osei-Akoto, I.; Owusu, G.; Agbelie, I.S.K.The devastating effects of climate change and variability globally are incontestable, hence, the urgency for upscaling adaptation and mitigation strategies. Central to initiating and implementing robust adaptation and mitigation measures is innovative financing. While there are various climate change support projects in Ghana, much is still needed to fund adaptation and mitigation measures. Similarly, social protection intervention programmes abound in the country, many of which are aimed at reducing poverty and spatial development inequalities in targeted areas. Arguably, opportunities are embedded in many of these social protection programmes to bolster climate change adaptation and mitigation issues in the country. Using the Labour Intensive Public Works (LlPW) of the Ghana Social Opportunities Project (GSOP) as a case study, the paper examines how social protection interventions in Ghana could support both climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. Analysing the panel data from two rounds of survey on the LIPW, the results show that, paid employment among beneficiary communities increased by 9.4% relative to the non-beneficiary households. Furthermore, it was found that extreme poverty and average poverty reduced by 7% and 21% respectively in the LlPW beneficiary communities. Thus, the adaptive capacity to climate change of LIPW beneficiaries became stronger than non-beneficiaries. The analyses also reveal that the trees plantation activities of LlPW will strengthen the mitigation of climate change in the long-term through an increase in the country's carbon sinks. This interplay between social protection interventions and climate change objectives drums home the need to mainstream climate change objectives into all social protection interventions in GhanaItem Ghana's Community Information Centers (CiCs): e-Governance success or mirage?(ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, 2009-01) Awotwi, J.E.; Owusu, G.Following the initial implementation of Information and Communication Technologies for development (ICT4D) projects in rural Africa, many did not yield the anticipated outcomes, and interest has been waning. People then began talking about "sustainable ICT" projects as projects which would become self-sufficient after their initial donor-led investment and set-up period. Beyond WSIS's broad objective for all nations, Ghana Government set its own specific objectives to Community Information Centres (CICs) project, to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural dwellers in the country. They are to serve as training centers where acquisition of ICT skills and knowledge are provided for underprivileged people and also to bring government services online closer to the people at the grassroots. Is it true that rural Ghana does not want to connect with the rest of the world through information centres? This analysis is based on data collected from all known public records, reports, and other materials which were researched, and where possible, persons either directly involved with the project as administrators or users were interviewed. This analysis is based on data collected from all known public records, reports, and other materials which were researched, and where possible, persons either directly involved with the project as administrators or users were interviewed. Copyright 2009 ACM.Item Lack of equal access to ICTs by women: An e-governance issue(ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, 2008-01) Awotwi, J.E.; Owusu, G.This paper will explore the inadequacy of women's participatory role in governance due to lack of access to ICTs in Ghana using Ghana in West Africa as a Case Study. It will point out the recognition of women's limitations through international declarations; the usual obstacles that face women in the ICT industry; examine the Ghana government's gender policies, and also offer suggestions as to how to empower women, already marginalized in society, to gain from the new age of technology. Copyright 2008 ACM.