Negotiation-Space for Gender Household Decision Making in Polygamous Homes in Rural Northern Ghana

The aim of this paper is to broaden the scope and deepen the discourses of contemporary dialogues of women marginalisation. The study brings along a detailed understanding of the involvement of women in critical decision-making areas at their marital homes in northern Ghana from husband-wife; and wife-wife positions. The study adopted the mixed methods approach to research (qualitative and quantitative analysis); 42 Polygamous homes were purposefully sampled and interviewed. Response overlaps and unclear responses were encountered in populating the template. Analysis was further done by “Tabulations and Cross-Tabulations”, Within and Between Comparison were made by cross comparing columns and then by rows. The findings were that there is statistical significance of who plays the dominant role in critical decision areas concerning basic daily necessities (food, clothing, and shelter) of the household (further disaggregated into components of production, consumption, essential clothing, luxury clothing, ownership and control). Differences in voice and space were encountered between male house-hold head and senior most wife; senior most wife verse junior wives; and male household head verse junior wives. Derived conclusions of the study were that most of the time the woman (Senior-Most Wives) takes the major critical decision as regards food, clothing, and shelter of the family. But when it comes to the household the men (Male Household Heads) take the critical decisions. The Junior Wives play subservient roles, ascribed by the Senior Wife, “until their times are due”. The study recommends an emphasis on disaggregated studies and targeted actions when it concerns issue of gender in rural northern Ghana. This will remove and blinkers that come along with sweeping statements and stereotypes.