Ghana: A feminist critical policy analysis of the national social protection policy

This paper examines the extent to which Ghana’s National Social Protection Policy (NSPP) reflects the gendered risks and vulnerabilities of women and men in Ghana. Findings indicate that when the NSPP recognizes gender, it usually reinforces stereotyped gender roles which attribute household chores and childcare to women rather than providing the family support needed for care and social reproduction. This paper calls for a rethinking of the social protection policy formulation process, which currently fails to consider the nuances of an essentialist and hegemonic understanding of masculinity and femininity.