Social protection policies on child labour in low-income Ghanaian communities
A gender-sensitive analysis
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21451168 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Anthony Nkrumah Agyabeng (0000-0001-9177-4324, University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA)), Francis Komla Ganyaglo (Ho Technical University), Awo Esaah Bempong (University of Professional Studies), Andrews Ayiku (0000-0002-0524-2928, University of Professional Studies), Ummu Markwei (0000-0002-7919-0323, University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA)), Ernest Abraham Mensah (University of Professional Studies) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-17 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0144-333X • E-ISSN: 1758-6720 |
| Publisher | Emerald (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1108/ijssp-01-2026-0077 |
| OpenAlex | W7166546517 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 55 |
Purpose The study examines the nexus between social protection policies and child labor from a gender-sensitive perspective in Ghana, a developing country context. Design/methodology/approach Using a phenomenological lens within the qualitative approach, 23 participants were purposively sampled from even low-income communities across four regions of Ghana for in-depth interviews. Findings Results reveal that Ghana's social protection policies mitigated household vulnerabilities to some extent but remain insufficient to prevent child labour, particularly in low-income communities. Evidence across four emerging themes suggests that social protection policies have partial, gendered, and constrained effects, reinforcing rather than transforming household survival strategies. Research limitations/implications While the design of the study does not permit statistical generalizability, evidence adduced implies that social protection programmes operate as a partial buffer within conditions of chronic risk, where families rationally balance schooling aspirations against survival imperatives. Originality/value This study provides context-specific evidence regarding how social protection policies affect child labour from a gender-sensitivity lens from non-Western country context
Affect (linguistics) · Balance (ability) · Child protection · Nexus (standard) · Perspective (graphical) · Social policy · Social protection · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Global Maternal and Child Health · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |