Post Retirement Survival Strategies of Low Income Pensioners in Ghana

Population ageing has become one of the key developments in the 21st century due to the decrease in mortality and increase in life expectancy. In Ghana, the average life expectancy at birth is 63 years but the number is expected to increase with time (The world bank report, 2017). One of the major challenges that people face as they age is the transition from active work to retirement. Research suggests that high income earners are able to live adequately in retirement however, low income earners struggle to live on the state pension. This makes it important to investigate how low-income pensioners survive during retirement. There have been inequalities along gender lines due to the differences in labour market participation and domestic responsibilities among men and women. Due to this, both men and women may use different means to generate income in retirement. The research was guided by theoretical models that suggest that men will focus on professional networks whereas women will be more involved in the domestic and affective sphere. We investigate this through 9 semi-structured interviews conducted with pensioners who worked in the public sector in Ghana. The results were rather mixed from the research especially for women. We see that women are still attached to the professional field in different ways and some may be more involved in caregiving within the family. Also, not all men are totally involved in the professional sphere. The findings show that alternative income is becoming more influenced by the socioeconomic statuses of pensioners rather than the previous cultural definitions. This is explained by the change in living arrangements, work fields and previous job positions of men and women. Additionally, both men and women are resorting to mobile phones and social media platforms as a means communicating with friends and family members rather than the traditional mode of communication. It was also revealed that women were more involved in religious and social activities hence they tend to join more social groups and associations both in church and outside the church for social and emotional support.