Black gold in Ghana: Changing livelihoods for women in communities affected by oil production

This paper explores women's diverse situations in the oil-producing coastal communities of Western Ghana, and the institutions that frame those situations. It examines how women's private and public spaces have been reformulated by the production of oil in their community. The study engaged in different forms of qualitative inquiry: focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and participant observation. Findings reveal the oil exploration and production in Ghana has spawned a new social order in which women's activities and livelihoods are invisible, thereby increasing their vulnerabilities. The case provides valuable insight for understanding the potential gender imbalances the oil industry may produce, and aims to assist government officials with framing policies to preempt or mitigate some of the adverse community-level impacts that may arise.