Women’s Local Knowledge and Engagement in Groundwater Irrigation: Impacts on Household Food Security in the Upper East Region of Ghana

Abstract

Groundwater irrigation in Ghana is a major livelihood activity that secures food through the cultivation of vegetables for households, particularly in the dry season. This activity is largely driven by the application of local knowledge. However, the existing studies that examined local knowledge of groundwater irrigation focused mostly on male irrigation farmers. Women’s local knowledge is often ignored or remains undocumented. In instances where it is studied, women’s local knowledge is lumped with males’ local knowledge thus ignoring its uniqueness. Furthermore, the studies about women’s local knowledge in this activity present this knowledge as one that permits women to perform only supplementary roles. Also, irrigation generally has an impact on food security. Yet, few studies have examined how women’s engagement in this activity secures food for their households. Therefore, the study discusses the following: the source of women’s local knowledge of groundwater irrigation, the value and application of women’s local knowledge of groundwater irrigation and the contributions of groundwater irrigation undertaken by women to household food security. Local knowledge is special knowledge; thus, a qualitative study approach was employed to explore it. Five rural communities in the Upper East Region of Ghana were studied. Interviews were used to generate the primary data while ATLAS.ti and GraphPad software were used in organising, analysing and presenting the data. The results showed that women farmers possessed local knowledge which was traced to different sources. The knowledge extended to include their negotiation power for access to land/wells, resources of which they have been marginalised. The application of this knowledge in groundwater irrigation promoted household food security, in the dimensions of access, utilisation, affordability, and agency. However, climate change may threaten groundwater irrigation’s contribution to food security unless artificial groundwater recharge is promoted.