Date: 11 December 2025
Time: 10:30–12:30
Location: Campus Condorcet, EHESS, Salle gradinée – Marc-Ferro
Also part of UE644 -Dynamiques du genre en Afrique, EHESS
‘It was difficult, but will you sit?’
On the ethics and working lives of urban female traders in Ghana (1920-1970)
Domenico Cristofaro, University of Bologna
Abstract
This presentation offers a progress report on ongoing research into the lives and work of urban market women in northern Ghana between 1920 and 1970. Drawing on interviews conducted in 2025, it explores the social, economic, and familial dimensions of women’s trading practices in the towns of the region. The paper contextualizes these practices within the broader colonial and postcolonial transformations in the Northern Territories, engaging with themes such as the transmission of trade knowledge, intra-household labour divisions, women’s financial strategies—including savings and wealth management—and their participation in local and transregional trade networks. Methodological reflections focus on the use of oral history and photoelicitation techniques to investigate women past and the related ethical challenges. The presentation concludes with a discussion of future directions for the research.