Transition of Female Migrant Porters (Kayayei) into Sex Work in Accra, Ghana
Publication Date: 22/12/2020
Author(s): Shamsu-Deen Ziblim (PhD), Francis Xavier Jarawura (PhD), Bapula S. Herrick.
Volume/Issue: Volume 3 , Issue 6 (2020)
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to explore the drivers of the transition of female migrant head porters into sex work. The research was cross-sectional in nature with both quantitative and qualitative approaches to data collection. Relationship between the concept of female migrant sex work and emerging predictors were structured using Connell’s theory of gender and power with respect to labour, behavior and cathexis. One hundred and sixty (160) randomly selected female migrants in the streets of Accra were interviewed with the aid of semi-structured questionnaire. Also, 12 female sex workers were identified through snowball sampling and were engaged in focus group discussions and in-depth interviews on the subject. The findings revealed that 56.2% of female migrant head porters doubled as sex workers. The majority of female migrants were aged between 25 – 29 year olds (41%) and single (60%) with at most primary level of education (55.2%). Also, age and religion were found to be significant predictors of female migrants’ involvement in sex work. Female migrants who were less than 20 years were less likely to participate in sex work compared to those with ages above 20 years. The drivers of female migrants towards sex work were categorized into immediate factors, underlying factors and basic factors. The immediate factor was found to be inability to cater for daily necessities in the midst of a strange community where familial and community support are distant. Underlying this problem were social pressure to join sex work, poor returns from Kayayei and transient unemployment. The study concludes that female migrants” is a vulnerable group in Accra. They are susceptible on diverse fronts to entry into prostitution, human trafficking and other dimensions of modern day slavery. National, Civil Society and philanthropic interventions must target the amelioration of the basic necessities of existing migrants and empower through multi-sectorial approaches, environments.
Keywords:
Transition, Migrant, Female Head Porters, Sex Work.
