Date of Award
8-1-2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A. in History
First Advisor
Mohammed B. Salau
Second Advisor
Zachary Kagan Guthrie
Third Advisor
Emily L. Fransee
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Women were integral to the production of palm oil in the region that is currently known as Ghana. Right from the start, they have worked in the palm oil industry as farmers, oil processors, and traders of palm fruits and oil. Yet, the story of the unique challenges and experiences of women who worked in the Ghanaian palm oil sector have largely been left out of history books. This thesis contributes to addressing this gap partly by focusing on how relevant colonial and post-colonial government policies and strategies shaped the place and roles of women who were involved in the palm oil industry. The study argues that women’s position in the postcolonial palm oil industry is the result of government’s policies and employment practices that disadvantage women relative to men. The study also argues that women faced unique challenges in all palm oil businesses that they embraced in the private sector and that women took many steps to overcome the challenges that they generally experienced in the palm oil sector.
Recommended Citation
Okine, Grace, "Fighting Exclusion: Women in the Palm Oil Industry in Ghana Since 1957" (2022). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2387.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/2387