Non-timber_forest_products_farming_and_e.pdf - Environ Dev...

Non-timber forest products farming and empowerment
of rural women in Ghana
Albert Ahenkan
·
Emmanuel Boon
Received: 27 October 2010 / Accepted: 8 March 2011/ / Published online: 13 April 2011
© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011
Abstract United Nations estimates indicate that up to 70% of the world’s poor are
female, and women in developing countries constitute the majority of the labour force,
playing a key role in managing community resources and helping to improve food security
and protect the environment. Increased attention in recent years has been focused on the
potential role of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in improving the incomes and health
of women in developing countries. NTFPs farming and marketing are very critical for the
economic empowerment of rural poor, particularly women. Despite this potential, the
contribution of NTFPs farming to the empowerment of women remains largely under-
valued and understudied. This paper examines the potential contribution of NTFPs farming
in poverty reduction and livelihood improvement of women in Ghana using the Sefwi
Wiawso District (SWD) and Bibiani-Bekwai District (BBD) in the Western Region of
Ghana as a case study. The paper explores the contribution of NTFPs farming to the total
annual income, acquisition of assets, health, and food security of women through partic-
ipatory research methods. ANOVA and Pearson Correlation ( p \ 0.05) show that a
significant association exists between total annual income of women, acquisition of assets,
health, food security, and the income earned from NTFPs in the SWD and BBD. The study
revealed that NTFPs can contribute significantly to the economic empowerment of women.
The paper asserts that commercialisation of NTFPs will have a greater impact on women’s
livelihoods and therefore any opportunity for increasing their involvement is very essential
for the empowerment and sustainable development of rural communities in Ghana.
Keywords Economic empowerment · Employment · Food security ·
Income · Non-timber forest products · Poverty reduction
Readers should send their comments on this paper to [email protected] within 3 months of publication
of this issue.
A. Ahenkan ( & ) · E. Boon
Human Ecology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
e-mail: [email protected]
E. Boon
e-mail: [email protected]
123
Environ Dev Sustain (2011) 13:863–878
DOI 10.1007/s10668-011-9295-7

1 Introduction
Never in the history of mankind has greater attention been accorded the issues affecting
women and their empowerment. Despite many international agreements affirming their
human rights, women are still much more likely than men to be poor (UNFPA 2010 ).
United Nations estimates indicate that up to 70% of the world’s poor are women, and in
the developing countries they constitute the majority of the labour force, playing key
roles in managing community resources and helping to improve food security and protect
the environment (UNEP 2006 ; UN 2009 ). Gender equality and women’s empowerment is
central to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and sustainable
development (UNDP 2010