Trading on-and-off the road: Experiences of Ghanaian informal cross border traders
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Date
2019-06
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Ghana Social Science Journal
Abstract
The impacts of globalisation with respect to the organisation of space and
time have been phenomenal. Among others, globalization has provided
the opportunity to trade across national frontiers by road or through the
frictionless realms of cyberspace. Informal trade through cyberspace,
including the use of the internet, mobile telephony, electronic transfers,
and receipts of funds and electronic banking have become popular in
recent times. This is also due to challenges associated with informal trade
by road such as poor transport systems and delays associated with the
numerous check points within the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS) sub-region. Thus, informal trade through cyberspace
offers both men and women traders the opportunity to circumvent
challenges associated with trading by road. However, challenges with
limited infrastructure, illiteracy vis-à-vis dominance of the English
language in ICT usage, lack of access to cheap digital voice and data
communication etc. may serve as impediments for these informal traders,
especially women and keep them out of the benefits of globalization. This
paper shares the experiences of Ghanaian men and women in informal
cross-border trading within the ECOWAS. Using in-depth interviews, we
examine whether men and women are taking advantage of these new ways
of trading. Specifically, we map the different transportation routes that
these men and women ply, the specific transport-related challenges that confront them, and how they are overcoming these challenges through the
use of ICTs. The gendered differences have also been highlighted
Description
Ghana Science Journal, 16 (1), 23-53
Keywords
Globalization, gender, transport,, cross-border trade, Ghana