SOCIO-ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF ARMED CONFLICT ON WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN BAWKU MUNICIPALITY

Abstract

Conflict is inevitable and has the ability to cause social and economic implications in society.Throughout Africa violent conflicts profoundly affected the individuals, families, communities, organisations, and states leading to increased household burdens of women. Violent conflict not only obliterates the present society, but it also mutilates the future. This situation increases and widens gender disparity and poverty gap making women and children more vulnerable. This paper examined the socio-economic effects of conflict on women and children in Bawku Municipality. It is a descriptive study. The qualitative research method and the case study approach were employed for the study. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 30 respondents. The main sources of data were primary and secondary. In-depth interview guides and focus group discussions were used to collect primary data from respondents. Related literature and other documents were reviewed for secondary data. The study revealed that, the effects of conflict on women and children included poverty, divorce, internal displacement, denial of sources of livelihood, under-nourishment and malnutrition, school dropout, psychological trauma, insecurity, physical injuries, work overload on women, and child abuse. It is recommended that the government and other stakeholders should give scholarship to children to retain them in school, increase small-scale credit facilities for women, resettlement packages, life enhancing opportunities, counseling services to conflict victims, transform the conflict, and improve upon the lives of the women and children in the Municipality.