Education, Social Capital, Physical, and Psychological Access to Healthcare Among Female Migrants in Informal Settlements in Accra City, Ghana

Education, Social Capital, Physical, and Psychological Access to Healthcare Among Female Migrants in Informal Settlements in Accra City, Ghana

John Kwame Boateng (University of Ghana, Ghana)
Copyright: © 2019 |Pages: 28
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-8134-5.ch012
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Abstract

This chapter reports on a study carried out by the Department of University of Ghana Learning Centers regarding the factors influencing migrant women's access to healthcare, lifelong learning, and the kind of link existing between this access and livelihood creation in six informal settlement areas of Accra city. The findings showed positive correlation between women's level of education and both physical and psychological access to healthcare. It was equally found that access to a regular source of income built a high level of self-determination in women of the informal settlements. Armed with this high level of self-determination, women were able to access healthcare and lifelong learning without needing the permission of husbands or members of family. Policies aimed at strengthening training attendants in pre- and post-natal emergency life-saving care are recommended for the informal settlement areas.
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Background

The focus of this chapter being female migrants, this section seeks to situate them within the context of contemporary Ghana and discuss them in relation to the extent to which they have been able to access various services including heath care, education and lifelong learning. The Background equally examines the involvement of these migrants in street hawking.

Key Terms in this Chapter

Self-Determination: Demonstration that decision to achieve a task is self-generated.

Migrants: Persons who move from place to place or from one town or village to another for purpose of employment or other economic purposes.

Psychological Access: Demonstration of decision making and implementation ability.

Lifelong Learning: Learning that takes place from birth till the time of death.

Physical Access: Ability to move or go to a place in person or physically.

Healthcare: Offer of a service that addresses issues related to the health of human beings or animals.

Women in Informal Settlements: Women who come to live in places yet to be earmarked for official habitation or use.

Informal Settlements: Places used for either habitation or revenue generating activities which were not originally formally allocated for these types of use by administrative authorities.

Social Capital: Social networks of family members, friends and close associates whose interventions and support usually facilitate achievements in many areas of life and living.

Hawking: Process involving the carrying of wares all over the place including streets and other nooks and corners of town or village.

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