Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate how work and family lives of female entrepreneurs in emerging Sub-Saharan countries including Ghana influence their business performance, with focus on criteria such as income, number of outlets, and number of employees the entrepreneur controls. Design/methodology/approach -A phenomenological qualitative approach to research was adopted for this study to help the researcher gain deeper understanding of experiences of Ghanaian female entrepreneurs with respect to their work and family life and its influence on business performance. With a purposive sampling technique, 25 active women entrepreneurs with family responsibilities were sampled for the study. A multiple case study strategy, in-depth face-to-face interviews, and participant observation were used to solicit responses from participants included in the study. Findings -The study revealed that a majority of female entrepreneurs involved in the study believe that their roles and responsibilities to their families have a negative impact on both the income they generate from their business and their willingness to expand their outlets. However, it has a positive impact on their willingness to employ additional employees in their businesses. As a consequence, this study reveals that quality family life is essential to these female entrepreneurs and they are willing to put the well-being of their families first, even at the expense of their business growth.Research limitations/implications -The study focused solely on the work and family life of women entrepreneurs and its influence on their business performance in Ghana. However, there exist other critical issues that affect women entrepreneurs in the Sub-Saharan region that can be explored to provide more insight on this subject or in different contexts. Originality/value -As a first of its kind in the Ghanaian context, little is known in extant literature until now with regard to work and family life of female entrepreneurs and its influence on their business performance. This study therefore seeks to bridge this gap.

a b s t r a c tLike most Sub-Saharan African countries, Ghana's basic educational system continues to undergo reform, receiving substantial investment to ensure all citizens have access to quality educational opportunities regardless of where they live. Although the reforms have markedly improved access to education at the junior high school level, the overall level of academic achievement among Ghana's population remains low, especially in deprived areas of the country. The low rate of achievement warrants examination because the lack of education hampers social mobility and constrains the ability of pupils from deprived communities to progress up the academic ladder. This study uses spatial modeling tools and district-level data to examine spatial variability in rates of academic achievement among districts in Ghana, and to investigate the differential effects of macro-level factors on academic achievement. Analysis reveals two key findings: (a) the existing pattern of spatial inequality primarily favors academic achievement of students in the Middle and Southern Belt regions of Ghana; and (b) factors contributing to academic achievement vary spatially, with the significance level, magnitude, and direction of relationship varying from one district to another. The study demonstrates the quintessence of an approach to educational development that emphasizes decentralization, thereby allowing educational investments and interventions to be tailored to local needs.

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This article explores the effects of stakeholder conflicts on community development. In particular, it analyzes the negative repercussions these conflicts have on projects drawing on primary research in Kenyase, one of the major mining communities in Ghana where community development processes are more structured. Using qualitative research methods, the research sought evidence of the negative effects stakeholder conflicts have on projects. This study revealed that financial and technical investments without adequate social capital have the potential of retarding community development projects. It was therefore recommended that project managers pay attention to stakeholder relationships in project initiation, design, and implementation.

Children who are the future leaders of countries are exploited and forced into labour instead of receiving good education. Despite the increasing commitment by governments and their partners to tackle child labour worldwide, it remains a problem on the massive scale. This study therefore seeks to assess the effects of child labour on children with specific emphasis on the Obuasi municipality of the Ashanti region of Ghana. The study adopted the use of the mixed research method. Purposive sampling technique was used to select respondents for the study. The sample size for this study was fifty (50) people. The study reveals that children engaged in galamsey to contribute to their family income, to pay their school fees and to provide for themselves basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. Also, it is evident that the children's involvement in this activity has affected them adversely. From the study it is clear that child labour negatively affects the education of children. Based on these findings the study recommends joint efforts among various stakeholders with the aim of developing public awareness of children's rights and the problems encountered by working children.