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On gender and spatial gaps in Africa’s informal sector: Evidence from urban Ghana

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  • Avenyo, Elvis Korku
  • Francois, John Nana
  • Zinyemba, Tatenda P.

Abstract

We employ unique survey data collected in 2016 in two urban areas in Ghana – Accra and Tema – to examine gender and spatial gaps in sales and innovation. Multivariate decomposition analyses of the data uncover the following results: First, there is an unexplained spatial gap in sales between informal enterprise owners residing in Accra and Tema. Second, there are no gender gaps in sales and innovation. However, there are explained and unexplained gender-gaps in how the previous sales (size) of an informal enterprise affects current sales. We discuss the implications of these findings.

Suggested Citation

  • Avenyo, Elvis Korku & Francois, John Nana & Zinyemba, Tatenda P., 2021. "On gender and spatial gaps in Africa’s informal sector: Evidence from urban Ghana," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:199:y:2021:i:c:s0165176521000094
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2021.109732
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    Cited by:

    1. Avenyo, Elvis Korku, 2021. "Learning and Product Innovation Performance in Informal Enterprises: Evidence from Urban Ghana," MPRA Paper 108839, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 05 May 2021.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gender; Spatial gap; Informal enterprises; Urban areas; sub-Saharan Africa; Ghana;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • P16 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Capitalist Institutions; Welfare State
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

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