Meridian - #20 - "The Invisible Work of Women: Gender, Labor and Sustainability in Ghana and Worldwide" – with Prof. Angela Dziedzom Akorsu cover art

Meridian - #20 - "The Invisible Work of Women: Gender, Labor and Sustainability in Ghana and Worldwide" – with Prof. Angela Dziedzom Akorsu

Meridian - #20 - "The Invisible Work of Women: Gender, Labor and Sustainability in Ghana and Worldwide" – with Prof. Angela Dziedzom Akorsu

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 Around the world, women perform the essential labor that sustains societies — yet this work is too often undervalued or made invisible. From unpaid care work to precarious jobs in the informal economy and emerging roles shaped by digital platforms, women’s experiences are frequently marginalized, even in systems that rely on their contributions. In Ghana and across Africa, these dynamics are deeply rooted in colonial histories and shaped by global capitalism. While the Sustainable Development Goals claim to advance gender equality, they often overlook the structural power imbalances that uphold gendered divisions of labor.

In this episode, journalist Kevin Caners speaks with Professor Angela Dziedzom Akorsu, an associate professor of labor and gender studies at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, and 2025 DiGENet Audre Lorde Visiting Professor at the Berlin University Alliance.Together, they explore urgent questions: How does the global division of labor shape gendered work structures in Ghana? What parallels or contrasts emerge when compared to Europe — and what might Berlin learn from them? How can African feminist perspectives challenge and reshape global debates on development, sustainability, and knowledge production? What does fair and equitable research collaboration between Africa and Europe truly require?

Professor Akorsu’s career spans international academic work and interdisciplinary inquiry. She earned her BA in Education from the University of Cape Coast (1998), a Master’s in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands (2001), and a PhD from the University of Manchester, UK (2010). Since 2022, she has served as Dean of the School for Development Studies at the University of Cape Coast. Her DiGENet Audre Lorde Visiting Professorship at the Berlin University Alliance, hosted by Freie Universität Berlin, is grounded in a commitment to amplifying the perspectives of those often excluded from mainstream development narratives. The Audre Lorde Visiting Professorship was established by the Diversity and Gender Equality Network (DiGENet) of the Berlin University Alliance. If you would like to learn more about the Africa Charter, listen to Meridian Episode 17: The Africa Charta: A roadmap for universities towards equitable research partnerships – with Isabella Aboderin.

Angela Dziedzom Akorsu is an associate professor of labor and gender studies at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. She is the DiGENet Audre Lorde visiting professor 2025 at the Berlin University Alliance, hosted by Freie Universität Berlin.
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