The right to services and poverty
A case study from the Volta region in Ghana.
The report examines how poor and non-poor households gain access to services in Ghana in the areas of water, sanitation, education, and health.
The study compares a village in Jasikan District of the Volta Region, wher
e the Government of Ghana and Danida have made an effort to improve water and sanitation services, with a village in the contiguous Biakoye District in the same region that has not received targeted support. Jasikan District
was eligible for special support because of its results in the performance assessment under the Ghana Decentralization Support Progra
m which targets resources and development assistance at well-performing districts.
The study aims to throw light on how poor and non-poor groups benefit from services and service improvements.
Are human rights-based approaches effective in redressing imbalances of access to services by its focus on vulnerable groups and on non-discrimination and equality?
Does the rights focus enable community members to lay claim to their human rights?
MATTERS OF CONCERN is a working paper series focusing on new and emerging research on human rights across academic disciplines. It is a means for DIHR staff, visiting fellows and external researchers to make available the preliminary results of their research, work in progress and unique research contributions. Research papers are published under the responsibility of the author alone and do not represent the official view of the Danish Institute of Human Rights.
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