The “good woman” paradox: cultural translation of women’s empowerment in Ghana’s Upper West Region

This paper explores the “good woman” construct in Ghana’s Upper West Region (UWR) as a local response to women’s empowerment initiatives. Drawing on qualitative research (interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation across 17 communities), the article examines how the construct (translated as halahalooti/pogosuong in the Sissale/Dagaare language) adapts empowerment discourse in a context lacking direct linguistic equivalence. Drawing on Foucault’s theory of discourse and Sherry Ortner’s cultural critique of agency, we analyse the “good woman” construct as both an instrument and effect of power, revealing its embedded meanings and social dynamics. The construct emerges as a hybrid formation: men promote it to legitimise agency that upholds cultural values and social hierarchies, while women strategically use it to navigate development agendas and traditional expectations, creating culturally legitimate pathways to empowerment. Ultimately, we highlight how communities in the UWR negotiate social change, balancing collective flourishing with the preservation of cultural integrity.