Authors:Martin Amoah
Abstract:This study investigated the gender-based differences in the commercialisation of rattan and bamboo in Ghana, the opportunities available to rural and urban poor communities engaged in the value chain of rattan and bamboo resource and the challenges they face in their quest to earn a living from the industry. Using snowball sampling, 106 actors in the value chain of the industry were sampled from rural and urban communities where rattan and bamboo are harvested, processed and marketed. Questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were the main data collection tools. The results showed that even though males dominate the value chain, females play two important roles: harvesting and supplying of raw rattan and bamboo to processors. Whereas rural males and females are mostly engaged in the harvesting of the resource their urban counterparts are engaged in the processing and marketing of products from the resource. The limited role played by women in the value chain was partly due to their low self-efficacy resulting from gender stereotype and their traditional roles in the home. Those involved in all the stages of the value chain reported daily income of about USD8.00 and this diminishes to 19.8%, 23%, and 36% of it for harvesters, processors and marketers, respectively. The amount accrued to harvesters was found to be lower than the average daily wage of hired labour, suggesting that the commercialisation of rattan and bamboo has not improved the economic status of rural people. Economics of scale and product quality were the main inhibiting factors for successful commercialisation of the resource. Policy interventions aimed at increasing rural participation in the value chain should include removal of gender stigmatization, providing rural artisans with technical and marketing support, and establishing cottage industry as part of effort to integrating rural businesses communities’ into local tourism. International visibility of rattan and bamboo industry in Ghana, which thus far has remained poor, requires urgent attention from governmental and non-governmental agencies.
Keywords:Gender-based differences, livelihood support, Ghana