Abstract

This thesis examines the effects of temporary male migration on the welfare of families left behind in Ghana, focusing on women’s decision making, children’s schooling, and child health outcomes. Using pooled data from the 2003, 2008, 2014, and 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys, temporary migration is defined as a case in which a male household head remains a usual member of the household but was absent the night before the survey. To estimate the relationship between temporary male migration and household welfare, this study employs linear probability models with household level controls, region fixed effects, and survey year fixed effects. The results indicate that temporary male migration is most strongly associated with shifts in intra household bargaining power. Women in households with a temporarily migrant male head are more likely to make decisions independently regarding their own health care, earnings, and major household purchases, suggesting an increase in women’s practical decision-making authority in the absence of men. By contrast, the findings do not provide strong evidence that temporary male migration adversely affects children’s schooling outcomes. The results for child health are mixed: temporary male migration is not meaningfully associated with BCG vaccination, but it is positively associated with overall child immunization. Overall, the findings suggest that temporary male migration in Ghana is better understood as a process of household reorganization, particularly through expanded female decision making, than as a uniform decline in household welfare.

Advisor

Shaukat, Sarah

Department

Business Economics

Disciplines

Other Economics

Publication Date

2026

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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