Women's Labor Participation in Ghana and Effects on Human Development: A Focus on Entrepreneurship

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the gender-rooted challenges that women entrepreneurs face in Ghana and to analyze the impacts that increasing women’s rights and entrepreneurship have had on the country’s economy. Several indicators (including labor force participation, women's seats in national parliaments, the Women Business and the Law index, primary completion rate, and the gender inequality index) of gender equality and the prevalence of women’s entrepreneurship are compared with economic and human development trends. Through statistical regressions, the paper’s findings show a positive correlation between greater income equality and women’s seats in national parliament, as well as with the human development index, and conclude that the best way to reduce gender inequality is to increase the number of women in positions of power, as well as improve the education and skill development for women.