I miss so many things about Ghana- from the food to the pace of life, and most especially the people. But there are a few reasons I am still glad to live in the UK!
Closely linked with the cultural differences around women and gender equality , I was also surprised by attitudes to family and relationships in Ghana. Ghanaian men are very free when it comes to approaching women. Ghanaian people in general are very friendly and, particularly as a white person, I was approached by curious people all the time- but men with other agendas are definitely bold!
Ghanaian culture results in an interesting dating dynamic, whereby the men are direct without being forward. Our friends agreed that Ghanaian women tend to take dating very seriously; men less so, but still more seriously than men in the UK! Casual or open relationships are practically unheard of. Whilst young people in the Southern parts of Ghana are certainly allowed to choose their spouse, family is much more involved in the process- if you start dating someone, you should expect your parents to conduct a thorough background check before they will allow you to continue, and any unfortunate connections a cousin with a mental health problem, or unfortunate tribal connections , may result in enforced termination of the relationship.
Marriage may still be semi-arranged, through recommendations and orchestrated meetings. Our Ghanaian friends struggled when discussing LGB issues because, in their minds, you would not even consider a person in a romantic manner if they were not a socially acceptable match. Marriage is a contract between two people, and a key goal of any relationship. When in a relationship, the girl can reasonably expect the boy to cover all sorts of expenses- not just dates, but other costs even going so far as hairdressing or rent.
This remains the case even if she is earning a decent salary; her income is hers to do with as she pleases; his income is shared to cover essentials. The role of breadwinner can be intimidating for young men struggling in the current economy- more than one mentioned that they could not afford to have a girlfriend.
