Informal Cross-Border Trade, Masculinity, and Shifting Household Power Dynamics in West Africa

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 8, August 2026 | pp. 118–130

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001293

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Informal Cross-Border Trade, Masculinity, and Shifting Household Power Dynamics in West Africa

Names of Author: Dr. Kwame Boateng¹ & Dr. Adwoa Asante²

Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Sociology, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana; ²Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.

Abstract:
Informal cross-border trade represents a vital engine of regional commerce in West Africa, with women accounting for over seventy percent of traders moving agricultural produce and textiles across national borders. As economic restructuring and formal sector unemployment erode traditional male breadwinner roles, female traders increasingly serve as primary financial providers for their households. However, women’s upward economic mobility frequently triggers complex renegotiations of domestic authority, marital expectations, and hegemonic masculinity. This paper examines how cross-border trading along the Abidjan-Lagos corridor reshapes gender relations and household decision-making. Utilizing relational gender theory and concepts of African masculinities, the study analyzes qualitative interviews with 40 dual-earner couples in Ghana and Togo. The findings indicate that while female economic empowerment enhances women’s control over household expenditure, it also generates marital friction and defensive patriarchal posturing unless accompanied by shifts in men’s attitudes toward domestic care labor.

Keywords: Informal trade, masculinity, household power dynamics, female breadwinners, West Africa, gender relations, economic empowerment, marriage

Manuscript Timeline: Received: June 05, 2026; Revised: July 12, 2026; Accepted: July 15, 2026; Published: August 14, 2026.

Citation: Boateng, K., & Asante, A. (2026). Informal Cross-Border Trade, Masculinity, and Shifting Household Power Dynamics in West Africa. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(8), 118–130. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001293

Subscribe to read the full article: https://www.internationalscholarsjournals.org/subscribe-to-read