TY - JOUR
T1 - Market Women’s Perspectives on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
T2 - The Case of Ghana and South Africa
AU - Frimpong, Ebenezer Kwabena
AU - Yamoah, Peter
AU - Wiafe, Ebenezer
AU - Demana, Patrick Hulisani
AU - Matlala, Moliehi
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors.
PY - 2022/8
Y1 - 2022/8
N2 - Globally, countries are still battling health challenges and the negative economic stress on the citizenry caused by COVID-19. This study explored the perspectives of market women in Ghana and South Africa on COVID-19. Data collection was executed in both Ghana and South Africa between March 2021 and December 2021. Employing semi-structured questionnaires, face-to-face interviews were conducted. Most of the market women in Ghana described COVID-19 as a global pandemic, while market women in South Africa described the disease as the deadly flu. There were similarities in the perceived signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Market women in both countries specifically observed that not adhering to the safety protocols was the major mode of transmission. Lemon, garlic and ginger were the most common foodstuffs used by the market women to fight COVID-19. To prevent COVID-19 at their places of work, market women stressed the importance of observing the safety protocols. An overwhelming majority of market women in both countries bemoaned the negative impact of COVID-19 on their businesses and suggested the need for financial assistance from their respective governments. The findings are intended to assist policymakers in both Ghana and South Africa to implement interventional projects to assist women whom the literature suggests are the most vulnerable during pandemics such as COVID-19.
AB - Globally, countries are still battling health challenges and the negative economic stress on the citizenry caused by COVID-19. This study explored the perspectives of market women in Ghana and South Africa on COVID-19. Data collection was executed in both Ghana and South Africa between March 2021 and December 2021. Employing semi-structured questionnaires, face-to-face interviews were conducted. Most of the market women in Ghana described COVID-19 as a global pandemic, while market women in South Africa described the disease as the deadly flu. There were similarities in the perceived signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Market women in both countries specifically observed that not adhering to the safety protocols was the major mode of transmission. Lemon, garlic and ginger were the most common foodstuffs used by the market women to fight COVID-19. To prevent COVID-19 at their places of work, market women stressed the importance of observing the safety protocols. An overwhelming majority of market women in both countries bemoaned the negative impact of COVID-19 on their businesses and suggested the need for financial assistance from their respective governments. The findings are intended to assist policymakers in both Ghana and South Africa to implement interventional projects to assist women whom the literature suggests are the most vulnerable during pandemics such as COVID-19.
KW - Africa
KW - COVID-19 pandemic
KW - gender perspective
KW - loss of revenue
KW - market women
KW - negative economic impact
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85136342317&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph19159658
DO - 10.3390/ijerph19159658
M3 - Article
C2 - 35955014
AN - SCOPUS:85136342317
SN - 1661-7827
VL - 19
JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
IS - 15
M1 - 9658
ER -
