[Michael] Good mother from Ghana

Ghana is made up of approximately 24 million people. Out of this number, about 13 million are considered to be females according to the 2010 population and housing census. 

Michael Fuseini Wandusim

In order to know and understand who “a good mother” really is in Ghana, one has to know how the Ghanaian society generally views women and their position in the society. Also, one needs to appreciate the fact that there are over 40 different ethnic groups in Ghana, and each ethnic group has its own standard of measuring who a good mother is. Nevertheless, I will give a general view of who is considered “a good mother” in Ghana.

Before now, women in Ghana were considered to be less superior to men and the place of the woman in the Ghanaian society was the home and kitchen; she need not go to school. But in modern times where there has been serious campaign by gender advocates about the need for the education of the girl-child and for that matter, women, this perception about the woman being consigned to the home and kitchen is gradually changing. It has however not completely changed since the Ghanaian society is still considered to be in a state of transition from traditionalism to modernity with about 60% of the society being traditional and the rest having varying levels of modernization.

Given the transitional nature of the Ghanaian society, generally, a woman is considered to be “a good mother” if she is able to manage her home well, that is if she takes care of the children with the money the husband provides and sometimes her own money; does the household chores; respects and submits to the authority of the man who, in Ghana, is considered the family-head, does not flirt and does not take internal problems of the family outside. In rural Ghana, “a good mother” is also one who supports the man in farm activities. And according to research most of the farm work in rural Ghana is done by the woman. Therefore, it is interesting to know that it is the dream of every young man to marry a woman as one described here.

Among the elite who have been exposed much to modernity however, all the aforementioned duties of “a good mother” constitute a shared responsibility between the man and the woman. That notwithstanding, even among the elite, because of the influence of traditionalism, “a good mother” is to submit to the authority of the man, manage the home, and should treat well visitors who come to the family.

Personally, I will consider my mother as “a good mother” because she cares for me and my siblings, and advices me about how to relate to elderly people and encourages me in the way of God. And she respects my dad too and treats well people who visit my family.

A “good mother” in Ghana therefore, generally has to do with one who is able to manage her home well, respects her husband and does not flirt.

Michael Fuseini Wandusim from Ghana