Ghana

Social, cultural, and economic factors contribute to the ways in which motherhood is practiced and perceived in Ghana. Because Ghana is considered a developing country, there is a need to improve infant and mortality rates.

In Ghanaian society, a woman's status is linked to her fertility. The more children she has, the higher her status increases. Infertile women, however, may be socially stigmatized because they are [Page 452]not able to further their lineages. In this context, fertility rates are relatively high in Ghana. The U.S. Census estimates the total fertility rate (number of births per woman) was 4.7 in 1995 and decreased slightly to 3.8 in 2008.

Despite the high fertility rates, Ghana faces several health-related issues that affect mothers and their children. The United Nations Children's ...