Gender inequalities, water research and knowledge production in Ghana

Abstract

Gender inequalities pervade Ghana, with a lot of studies focusing on them. However, little has been documented about gender inequalities in water research in the country. This article seeks to contribute to the existing knowledge by providing empirical evidence of the nature of gender inequality in water research and calls for improving gender-based studies in water research institutions in the country. Known for its research activities on water resources, the Water Research Institute (WRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is taken as a case. Therefore, the study specifically addresses these questions: (i) does water research of the WRI include gender and gender-related topics (ii) what is the representation of women researchers in the WRI? (iii) what existing gender inequalities impact women researchers’ contributions to knowledge production in the WRI? The study adopted a mixed method approach combining questionnaire survey, phone interviews, and document review to generate primary and secondary data to address the research concerns. Although the WRI produced articles within the 10-year studied period, the bibliometric analyses showed that none of them discussed topics related to gender. The lack of integration of gender issues in water research skewed water knowledge towards only water's chemical/biophysical aspects. Also, women research scientists were fewer than their male counterparts, with these women researchers experiencing gender-related discrimination and intimidation. As a government institution, it is recommended that the WRI considers integrating gender topics in its research activities to generate knowledge that informs better water policy formulation and hence, benefits all including women and girls in the country.