Modern Motherhood, Masculinity, and Family Planning in Ghana, 1960–75

Abstract

AbstractThis article analyzes policies related to reproduction in postcolonial Ghana, in particular pronatalist tendencies under Nkrumah, and the launch of the National Family Planning Programme (NFPP) in 1970. I argue that gendered nationalism was frequently articulated through women’s roles as mothers. Modernization under Nkrumah went further than large-scale development projects, because aspirations for the nation were reflected in expectations of modern motherhood. Like many family planning programs before and since, the NFPP was also highly gendered. Family planning was linked to economic and social development and progressive attitudes. Modern women and modern families were expected to embrace family planning. In public discourse, it was women’s responsibility for national development to act as mothers of the nation, whether that meant adhering to pronatalist principles under Nkrumah, or limiting their family size under successive later governments. Policies, especially NFPP, acknowledged and reinforced gendered roles related to sexual and reproductive behavior. Men were often seen as decision makers and the demographic that needed to be persuaded when it came to family planning. The gendered aspects of the NFPP are explored in this article to show that whereas adherence to “tradition” was discouraged in women, men’s gendered roles remained largely unchallenged.