People’s perception about the role of married women in community development A case study in Assin Fosu and its surrounding areas of the Assin North Municipality

Abstract

This study is an investigation into the perceptions that people have about the roles of married women in community development in the Assin North Municipality of the Central Region of Ghana. Using a qualitative research method, the study also provides an insight into the reasons that explain the people’s perceptions. Data was collected from 200 respondents who were interviewed in twenty focus groups. It is evident that there are several perceptions that people have about the roles of married women in community development, including the perception that, married women can effectively manage both family and community responsibilities only when there is a permissive, supportive and encouraging husband and that, married women are the least participatory in community development processes. The study also identifies the opinions that married women are biologically fragile, that they have God-given duties, and social ascription as some of the reasons that explain the perceptions that people have about the roles of married women in community development. It is, therefore, imperative that the situation of stereotyping, which the above reasons seek to justify, be urgently reconsidered. The capacity of the education system comes to the fore in the quest to sensitize the people to be appreciative of the roles of everyone, as complementary to others’ in the development of their community. Nonetheless, responses also favoured the empowerment of women which allows the married women to tell their own story which would necessarily be devoid of stereotyping.