Article
Mothers in a 'Strange Land': Migrant Women Farmers' Reproductive Health in the Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana
Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
(2021)
Abstract
As a coping strategy towards climate variability, smallholders from the Upper West Region (UWR) migrate to rural farming areas in the Brong- Ahafo Region (BAR) of Ghana in search of better livelihoods. Although previous migrations were seasonal and male dominated, recent migrations have become permanent and involve more women migrating. Despite these changing dynamics, little is known about the effects of internal migration on women’s reproductive health in rural migration destinations. Using qualitative methods, we explored migrant women farmers’ reproductive health experiences in BAR. Findings from our study reveal that migrant women face limited autonomy in family planning decisions, lack access to maternal and general health care services, and have limited social support in the migration destination. Our findings contribute to the migration literature and highlight the unique reproductive health challenges of agrarian migrant women in rural receiving societies of Ghana.
Keywords
- Gender,
- migration,
- reproductive health,
- Brong- Ahafo Region,
- Ghana,
- sub- Saharan Africa.
Disciplines
Publication Date
2021
Citation Information
Bipasha Baruah, Jemima Nomunume Baada and Isaac Luginaah. "Mothers in a 'Strange Land': Migrant Women Farmers' Reproductive Health in the Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana" Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved (2021) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/bipasha-baruah/37/