Food Vending Among Men in Kumasi: Socio-Cultural Advantages, Constraints, and Coping Strategies

Abstract

Research on men in female-dominated occupations has focused mainly on formal sector occupations in North American and Western European settings. It remains unclear whether men in informal sector occupations in the Global South enjoy advantages, face challenges and adopt coping strategies that are similar to those documented in literature. This research focuses on men in an informal and female-dominated occupation in Ghana. Using semi-structured interviews, this research explores the advantages men enjoy as traditional food vendors, their constraints, and the coping strategies they adopt. This research found that while male traditional food vendors face some social ridicule, they nonetheless enjoy certain gendered advantages at the expense of other female food vendors. This research contributes to a further understanding of the effects of gendered perceptions on the wellbeing of both male and female vendors, and thereby provides stakeholder organisations with knowledge needed to improve the well-being of street food vendors.

Actors Perceptions on Challenges and Opportunities to Improve Street Vended Local Foods in Urban Ghana

“…A study by Forkuor et al (2016) looked at the male advantages, constraints and coping strategies in a female dominated street vending of traditional foods.…”

“…Street foods relevance for urban dwellers is in the fact that they serve as a source of affordable, nutritious, accessible and locally acceptable foods for them. Again, street foods contribute to urban food security and are a source of income for many urban residents (Okojie & Isah, 2014;Forkuor et al, 2016;FAO, 2016;Hiamey & Hiamey, 2018).…”

“…Obviously, low education of food vendors alone cannot be the only hindrance to proper food provisioning. Their interpersonal relationships with local authorities (Forkuor et al, 2016), capacity of the local authorities, institutional challenges (FAO, 2007;Monney et al, 2014), available policies to assist food vendors, the social classes' food vendors' deal with, and consumers' preferences, all may pose challenges to providing locally preferred, safe, nutritious and affordable SVLFs in the urban areas. How do actors perceive such challenges; how do these challenges influence food vending activities; and what are the opportunities to improve the provisioning of SVLFs in urban areas?…”

Post Birth Challenges among Working Mothers in a Higher Educational Institute in Ghana: Implications for Occupational Competitiveness of Working Mothers

“…In Africa in general, traditional norms and values and social expectations regarding what men and women must and should do is a key determinant of occupational choices among men and women on the continent (Abukari & Odai, 2018;Barker & Ricardo, 2005;Forkuor, 2016;Forkuor, Buari, & Aheto, 2019). While some men and women are gradually crossing into occupational sectors that have previously been dominated by one gender (Forkuor, 2016;Forkuor et al, 2019;Overa, 2007), occupational gender segregation is still very high on the African continent. In Ghana, most formal employment opportunities require employees to work for 8 hours for 5 consecutive days each week.…”