Unequal Road: Agency, Aspiration, and Migration in the Sporting Journeys of Ghanaian Female Athletes

Challenging conventional narratives of migration in sports, this study delves into the lived experiences of Ghanaian female student-athletes navigating the intricate nexus of gender, global sports labor markets, and transnational mobility. This research offers critical insights into a previously understudied population by centering on the agency and aspirations of these athletes, alongside the structural barriers they confront in their pursuit of athletic and educational opportunities abroad. Anchored in World-Systems Theory, the study analyzes how enduring global inequalities, the Global North's pull intersecting with the Global South's push factors, shape the migratory trajectories of these women. Through a qualitative semistructured interview, a diverse participant cohort (n = 30) was recruited, including United States-based Ghana student-athletes who have competed in world championships; Ghana-based female athletes; and Ghanaian coaches who provided local insights on the challenges and opportunities for women's participation in sports within the country. The findings revealed a complex web of motivations and constraints, including attractive opportunities in the United States, systemic limitations in Ghana, and the lived realities of life in the “core,” such as cultural adjustment, career uncertainty, and persistent financial strain. The study concludes by discussing how sociocultural norms intersect with individual agency to facilitate transnational mobility and highlights the remarkable resilience of Ghanaian female athletes as they navigate and challenge the contours of global sports.