Feminization of poverty and its hindrance to the response to HIV in Ghana

Feminization of poverty has prompted research into links between women across ethnicity, nationality and poverty, but its connection with diseases and access to health services remains limited. This qualitative case study draws on institutional stakeholders’ perspectives to examine how multidimensional poverty among women in Ghana is perceived to heighten vulnerability to HIV and restrict access to health services. It argues that, while income poverty leads some women to engage in risky sexual behavior, increasing susceptibility to HIV, multidimensional poverty simultaneously constrains their ability to access HIV services. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 20 respondents in Ghana and thematically analyzed. The study found that limited jobs and social assistance, alongside gender disparities embedded in culture, hinder women’s access to HIV services. The findings align with SDGs 1, 3, and 5, highlighting the need to address structural barriers affecting women’s health-service access and to strengthen progress toward global development targets.