Ghana | The Harriet Tubman Institute

Sylvia Esther Gyan

rebsl — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 15:47:22 +0000

Sylvia Esther Gyan (PhD) is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Ghana and a visiting Professor at the Department of Sociology, �첥��Ƶ, with over a decade of experience in teaching and research. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses and actively mentors and supervises students. From December 2018 to November 2023, she was an Affiliate Assistant Professor at the College of Public Health, University of South Florida. In 2019, she was named an African Studies Association Carnegie Corporation of New York Scholar.

Sylvia’s research focuses on the Sociology of Health, with emphasis on adolescent sexual and reproductive health, maternal health, and child marriage. Her broader academic interests include Family Demography, Gender Studies, Climate Change, Ageing, and Migration. She has contributed to several notable projects, including serving as Co-Principal Investigator on "Utilising AI to Promote Sexual and Reproductive Health Outcomes for Adolescents with Disabilities in Ghana," funded by IDRC through the Infectious Disease Institute’s HASH program (Feb. 2023 – July 2024). She currently leads a project funded by the Horizons Institute Pump-prime Fund, University of Leeds, titled “Co-Creating Resilient Communities for Female Adolescent Migrants (‘Kayayei’) in Ghana.” This project integrates sociological methods and participatory visual art approaches to explore the lived experiences of girls under 16 who migrate from northern Ghana to Accra to work as head porters. Sylvia has also conducted research on sexual behaviours among older adults in Ghana, addressing a critical gap in global health literature. While most studies in this area originate from the Global North, her work brings much-needed focus to the sociocultural dynamics of ageing and sexuality in sub-Saharan Africa, a topic often considered taboo.

Her expertise and research continue to inform and influence discussions on health, gender, and development both within Ghana and beyond. Her research has been published in high-quality international journals, including Current Sociology, Archives of Sexual Behaviour, and Journal of Biosocial Science.

Beyond academic scholarship, Sylvia is deeply committed to collaborative research that addresses pressing societal challenges. Her work frequently centres on women in vulnerable situations, to inform policies and interventions that enhance their well-being.

Keywords: Africa, Ghana, Adolescent, Health, Migration, Climate Change, HIV, Intimate Partner Violence, Gender

Felicia Achamah

rebsl — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 17:59:28 +0000

Felicia Achamah is a first-year MA student in Geography at �첥��Ƶ. She carries out research on the social and environmental impacts of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in sub-Saharan Africa. She is particularly interested in the link between mercury, environmental health, and gold production. Her current research aims to broaden understanding of the dynamics of mercury supply in small-scale gold mining communities, building on three years of research, funded by the World Bank and United Nations, on the economic impacts women’s livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa. Her current regional focus is Ghana, the location of one of the largest ASM economies in the world.

Keywords: Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM), Sub-Saharan Africa, Mercury, Environmental Health, Gold Production, Social Impacts, Economic, Impacts, Women's Livelihoods, Ghana, Mercury Supply Chain, Environmental Impacts, Mining Communities

Eyram Agbe

rebsl — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 19:21:28 +0000

Eyram Agbe is a Development Studies M.A. candidate at �첥��Ƶ. Her research focuses on "development from below" in urban Ghana, specifically the ways that communities in Accra have mobilized to support reopening efforts across the city. Eyram's M.A. research specifically explores the various strategies that basic school administrators in Accra have developed (in tandem with neighbouring communities) to support academic continuity for students, and mitigate transmission of Covid-19 among students and staff.

Vivien Bediako

alexall5 — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 18:35:48 +0000

Vivien is a third-year doctoral student in Human Geography at �첥��Ƶ. Her past research focused on biodiversity conservation and wildlife management issues in relation to ecotourism development and has had considerable fieldwork experience in the African nations of Ghana, Ivory Coast and Kenya. Vivien is interested in development that is characterized by sound environmental practices and with a gender focus especially those that take special recognition of marginalized groups. Currently, her specific area of academic interest is linking the tourism and migration nexus. Her other research interests span across migration, trans nationalism, gender and development, and African development studies.