The Kayayo:
young girls and women from Northern Ghana, migrate to southern regions to work in markets, often carrying heavy loads for market women and customers. These laborers, seen in bustling markets like Accra and Kumasi, face significant challenges, including the deprivation of basic rights such as education and healthcare.
Their existence is overshadowed by the demands of those who benefit from their labor, highlighting the troubling reality of their situation.
Many of these girls do not migrate by choice; they are compelled by harsh conditions in their home regions.
Conservative attitudes in the North often prioritize traditional roles for females, with parents viewing their daughters as assets rather than individuals with rights. Research indicates that a large percentage of parents would rather marry off their daughters than support their education, perpetuating a cycle of child marriages and limited opportunities for young girls in the North
A day in the life of the Kayayo girls of Ghana starts very early, with long hours spent waiting in the market or on a street corner, hoping to find work transporting goods or personal belongings. They can often be found sitting in groups with their babies on a piece of cardboard in a shaded area, talking, joking, laughing, and doing their hair.
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These moments of rest make them appear as if they are just chilling with friends, but in reality, they are either taking a break from their hard labor or waiting to start all over again the next day.
