Crime and safety in urban public spaces: Experiences of Ghanaian women traders in the Makola market in Accra, Ghana

Charlotte Wrigley-Asante, George Owusu, Jane B. Amu, Tracy S. Commodore

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Although traditional markets and women traders in West African cities have long attracted the attention of scholars, limited studies exist on women’s experiences of crime and safety issues in this economic space that they dominate. This paper contributes to the growing geographical scholarship on gender and crime from the Ghanaian perspective as a result of the increasing urbanisation process that has raised concerns about crime and safety among urban dwellers. Using in-depth interviews, the paper explores the experiences of three categories of Ghanaian women traders in a traditional urban market, Makola, in Accra, Ghana’s capital city. Theft cases appeared to be the most common criminal activity that women traders experience and this results in significant economic, social, psychological, and emotional effects on the lives of the women, with the most vulnerable being those who do not have enough resources to secure their livelihoods. We recommend that city authorities, the police, and other stakeholders support the efforts of these women traders through gender-sensitive and equitable approaches to improve security in market spaces because market trade contributes significantly to city and national socio-economic development.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)76-90
Number of pages15
JournalGeographical Journal
Volume188
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2022
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • gender
  • Ghana
  • safety
  • trade
  • urban crime
  • urban public market space

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Crime and safety in urban public spaces: Experiences of Ghanaian women traders in the Makola market in Accra, Ghana'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this