Lived experiences of female ride hailing drivers and the dynamics of opportunity and risk in Ghana

The transport industry in many West African countries has been seen as a male-dominated sector with very little female participation. The recent introduction of ride-hailing platforms has allowed several female drivers to penetrate the business space and make some impact on family income, and they have been confronted with some challenges that could impact their sustainability. This qualitative study examines the lived experiences of female ride-hailing drivers in Ghana's two largest metropolitan areas, Accra and Kumasi. Using structural functionalism as an analytical framework, we explore how ride-hailing platforms serve both manifest functions (employment, income generation, flexibility) and latent functions (safety risks, gender discrimination, changes in family dynamics) in women's lives. Qualitative data were collected through 23 in-depth interviews with female drivers who were purposively selected and 5 focus group discussions conducted between 2023 and 2024. Our findings reveal that while ride-hailing platforms offer significant economic empowerment and work flexibility for women, particularly those balancing caregiving responsibilities, these benefits are substantially constrained by persistent socio-cultural barriers, physical safety concerns, and gender-based discrimination. Women employ multiple coping strategies, including selective route planning, peer support networks, and temporal restrictions on work hours. We conclude that despite individual resilience, systemic improvements in platform accountability, safety infrastructure, and policy frameworks are essential to ensure equitable participation. Our recommendations target platforms, policymakers, and researchers to create gender-responsive platform economy policies that maximise empowerment while minimising harm.