Get pregnant and be sacked: Working conditions in export processing zones and implications for women's empowerment in Ghana
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Date
2015-04-17
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University of Ghana
Abstract
Globalization and the spread of Export Processing Zones (EPZs) have
resulted in the global drift of women into paid employment in this
sector with marked implications on their empowerment. Although
Ghana has established EPZs since 1996, the conditions under which
women work in this sector and its implications on their empowerment
are not well understood. This study was therefore conducted to assess
the working conditions in Ghana's EPZ and its influence on women's
empowerment.
Adopting a sequential exploratory strategy, a qualitative phase of 30
in-depth interviews and 3 focus group discussions was followed by a
quantitative phase in which findings from the qualitative phase were
extended to a larger group of 184 women from three EPZ factories
through a survey.
The study found out that although job loss in Ghana's EPZ is rampant
due to labour casualisation and forces of globalisation, conditions of
work such as remuneration, working hours and occupational health
and safety are generally better than the "sweatshop" conditions
mostly found in other EPZs across the world. Women are experiencing
improvements in their finances and decision-making in their households
which has improved their sense self-respect and psychological
wellbeing as a result of EPZ employment. However, limitations on
union activities in these factories, job insecurities and verbal abuse
pose many challenges to the empowerment of the women. [t is
therefore important to address certain structural changes on the
working conditions in Ghana's EPZs to ensure that women benefit
fully from the empowering effects of this employment
Description
School of social sciences colloquium
Keywords
finances, Decision-making, sweatshop, Globalization