Interrogating Female Household Headship from Women Heads of Household Perspective: Findings from a Qualitative Study in Ouagadougou

Background and Objective

Despite its extensive use, the notion of female headship is a matter of constant controversial debate among scholars. This study analyzes how women household heads in Ouagadougou perceive themselves, versus the ways in which female household headship is conceptualized by researchers. Studies on female headed households are scarce in Burkina Faso, and it is our expectation that this study will contribute to fill the gap.

 Methods

Semi-structural in-depth interviews were conducted to explore women’s view of and experience on household headship, in relation with domestic power and decision-making. A sample of 20 female household heads was derived from a previous quantitative survey by using a purposive sampling method, in order to have women of different marital status and educational levels. Data were analyzed using a manual grid.

Findings

Findings show that all respondents acknowledged themselves as the current head of their respective households, even though all women mentioned the absence of a male partner as the reason why they defined themselves as the ‘head’. In terms of authority on family matters, the respondents made no spontaneous association between their being head and having domestic power nor making decisions in the household. It emerges from the responses that for female heads mothers of young children, the consistency of authority on household matters was mediated through women’s relationship with in-laws, mostly men. Conclusion

The study reveals that women’s experience of household headship differ significantly with the conceptualization of female household headship by researchers, in terms of control over family matters. While the husband/wife transition in the occupancy of household headship seems quite ‘natural’, the authority tied to this position seems to wane when held by a woman. The study challenges key conceptual understanding of female headship and current debate around the dynamics of domestic power in their household.