SUBSTANTIVE REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN: THE CASE OF GHANA\u27S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LAW OF 2007

This study investigates the role of civil society organizations (CSOs), especially gender-based groups in increasing the \u27substantive\u27 representation or the perspectives, views, and concerns of women in public policy-making in emerging democracies. In the last 30 years, calls for equality in the representation of women have received a boost mainly because of the disparity between the proportions of women in national populations and in legislatures. In Ghana where women are about 50 percent of the population, women constitute only 8.7 percent of the 230-member parliament as of January 2009. Such disparities produce critical implications for women\u27s empowerment and participation in public policy-making, especially in emerging democracies. Ghana\u27s return to democratic governance in 1992 brought with it guaranteed freedoms and new avenues for participation by CSOs. Various civil society groups, including the women\u27s movement have emerged to take advantage of the new avenues to organize and be part of the democratic process. However, there is yet to be a comprehensive analysis of the role these groups play in the democratization process, especially in increasing women\u27s substantive representation and participation in Ghana, and so this study fills that gap. This mixed-method qualitative research applies a revision of John Kingdon\u27s multiple streams framework to comprehensively analyze the activities of the women\u27s movement to understand their motivations, goals, and impacts on the democratic process in Ghana. The archival information and also key informant interviews reviewed about the resources, strategies, and challenges faced by the women\u27s movement in their advocacy for Ghana\u27s 2007 Domestic Violence Law showed that such groups play vital role in democratization. A major finding from this study is that gender-based CSOs enhance avenues for attracting much-needed outside resources for institution and capacity building for both grassroots groups and official policy actors to improve the democratic process, especially in emerging societies. The study therefore argues that societies should recognize and support the development of CSOs to increase the avenues for participation by under-represented groups like women in the policy process. This position is more relevant in societies where women still have \u27token\u27 representations or fewer than 30 percent women in legislatures, and where institutional inadequacies exacerbate an already precarious situation for women\u27s participation in the policy process

Internal Migration and Poverty Reduction in Ghana

This study utilizes primary data from seven (7 out of the 10) regions to assess the impact of internal migration on poverty reduction in Ghana. Internal migration is interpreted in this study as short-term coping strategies that help migrants and their dependants to achieve a basic level of consumption. The analysis show that there is a positive relationship between internal migration and poverty reduction because of the opportunities they provide in areas of short-term and flexible labour force. The study therefore recommends for policy makers to take a critical look at the phenomenon of internal migration in order to institute policies that lessen the burdens of internal migrants. There is also the need to explore avenues for enhancing the resource capabilities of current migrants and their beneficiaries as a potential strategy to diversify their remunerative options in the long term. Keywords: Migration, Poverty reduction, Economic Developmen

Developing Service Delivery Standards for the Hospitality Industry in Ghana

Tourism trends in the whole wide world suggest that it is one of the biggest industries which employ over ten million people, globally. In a bid to get its fair share in this industry, the Government of Ghana has given greater attention to developing the hospitality industry to attract and accommodate a large number of tourists. However, most of the hotels in Ghana are beset with many problems as a result of poor service quality practices and its ownership types. Additionally, geographical location, cultural practices and economic factors has had a tremendous effect on their performance.  Against this background, the goal of this study include identifying some of the management problems by assessing the extent to which management practices are applied toward the delivery of quality services in the hotel business in Ghana. The research investigates the extent to which service quality operations are managed in Ghana vis-à-vis the mandatory requirements set by the Ghana Tourist Board (GTO) and the World Tourism Organisation (WTO). The study suggests ways for improving hotel quality and destination competitiveness through strategic destination management decision-making. Keywords: Service Quality Standards, Hospitality Industry, Tourism Developmen

Management of Conflicts in Senior High Schools in Central Region, Ghana

Conflict management in the Senior High Schools has become a critical issue which needs to be looked at by propounding new models to complement or replace entirely the school disciplinary committee system that has become the order of the day. Causes of conflict in the school system vary and ranges from religious cause through misapplied policy, lack of technical know-how in conflict management to representation of school leaders in the day- to- day administration of the school. The paper looks at management of conflict from different perspectives by discussing and analyzing the root causes and sources of school conflicts in the administration of schools in Senior High Schools in the Central Region of Ghana. The findings suggest that administration and management of Senior High School in the Central Region are disadvantaged by the increased rates of conflict situations and that also militate against the smooth running of school administration. Keywords: Senior High School, Single Spine Salary Structure, School Management, Conflict Resolutio

The Cost of Accommodation, Internal Migration and Development: An Empirical Analysis of Bolgatanga Housing Market

A recent price hikes in accommodation and building materials such as cement, iron rods, wood, nails, cost of labour and volatility in macroeconomic indicators in Ghana recently and in Bolgatanga in particular is likely to cause privileged accommodation price unpredictability, an important factor of default and the downward payment of housing loans (Miles, 2008). Critical analysis indicates that a significant increase in the cost of accommodation or leasing has the prospective to cause accommodation price move violently. The contented accommodation price is likely to jeopardize the immovability of the region's true cost-cutting measure. Accommodation price increases in Bolgatanga is a recent phenomenon which occurred at the beginning of 2000s charging Ghc 60 per room per month ($22). In Bolgatanga, accommodation prices is greater than before completely owing to the deregulation of Ghana's housing market in the 2000s, and specifically when government fail to consign more funds for the safeguarding of existing housing facilities  and putting more as a result of gigantic growth in population and its associated movements. In Bolgatanga specifically, the price of accommodation in 2014 is Ghc 180 per month ($63) Us dollars.  The major increase in the cost of accommodation in Bolgatanga possibly will have cause house price volatility conflict, consequently endangering the firmness of the housing market and thereby the overall Ghanaian economy. This study examines whether excessive accommodation price existed in the Bolgatanga housing market from 2000 to 2014, using economic most important variables such as interest rates, inflation, and cost of supply of raw materials. The results of the study revealed that in Bolgatanga accommodation price guide was substantially larger than the symmetry value, based on the relative economic elementary variables (income, inflation, interest rate and construction cost) during 2000 to 2014

The Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility Expenditure on the Financial Performance of Financial Institutions: A 2002-2009 Analysis of Agricultural Development Bank, Ghana

Corporations are critical actors in the political, economic, social and cultural development of all countries. Besides providing goods and services in order to achieve profitability, they also serve as a source of livelihood for many, pay taxes that enable governments to operate, and have an impact on the physical and social environment. However, the practice of social responsibility poses a challenge to many financial institutions in Ghana including the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB). The socially responsible acts of financial have been assumed to have negative effect on the expenditure and profitability of some financial institutions thereby affecting their profit margins in the short-term. This research therefore focused on determining the extent of the effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditures on the financial performance of financial institutions. A survey and interviews of some selected department heads at the ADB and reviews of the annual CSR reports revealed that the immediate effect of socially responsible activities on the financial performance of financial institutions tends to be negative. In the long term, such efforts have the potential to accrue positive impacts for financial institutions that engage in socially responsible behaviors as part of their core functions. It is therefore recommended that financial institutions need to undertake socially responsible activities that are part of their core functions so as to overcome the initial shocks that are associated with such programs. Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility, Financial Performance, Financial Institution