and covers a wide area including government administrative blocks, markets, residences, and 

various commercial centers. Central Accra is composed of both the nucleuses of Ga people no 

longer considered the majority (Dakubu, 1997) around the beach and extends inland, covering 

areas like James Town, Ussher Town, Bukom, and a highly heterogeneous migrant settlement 

adjoining this traditional enclave. The main languages spoken in the city are Ga, Twi, Hausa, and 

English. 

Central Accra is populated largely by traders and fishermen, and most of the inhabitants 

of Ga Mashi Town are in the lower socioeconomic class. The area is very densely populated, 

with compounds including from 6 to 20 people. Most houses do not have kitchens, bathrooms, or 

toilets. Ga Mashi does have shared public facilities, such as public toilets and public baths. There 

are at least four junior secondary schools (JSS) and one senior secondary school (SSS) in Ga 

Mashi, and these are a mix of private and public schools. There are also two public health 

facilities the Ussher Polyclinic and the James Town Clinic as well as a number of private 

health facilities, such as pharmacies and midwife homes. Korle Bu Hospital, associated with the 

University of Ghana and the main teaching hospital in the country, is located within 

20 kilometers of Ga Mashi Town and provides abortion services to a large population of 

adolescent girls in the area. 

The population of Ghana includes several dozen ethnic groups that speak approximately 

44 languages.  The Akan family of languages such as Twi and Fante dialects are spoken most 

commonly (Lentz, 2000). Twi is almost the lingua franca of Ghana.  

The participants in the study came from seven ethnic groups and included 13 girls from 

different Akan groups, 13 from non Akan groups (mostly Ga), and 3 of mixed ethic origin. Such 

diversity makes it difficult to generalize about the residence and marriage patterns that would be 

historically familiar to the families of these girls. The DHS data from several West African 

countries have shown that ethnic contrasts remain strong in rural areas but tend to dissipate in 

urban areas. There are, however, several contrasts between the Akan and Ga people that are 

relevant to puberty rites, marriage, and residence patterns.  

The matrilineal Akans were once primarily farmers, and the maternal uncle played a 

major role in household decisions. Marriage was exogamous and, after marriage, the woman 

went to live with her husband. Marriage was a process that began with a public declaration of 

intention to marry, whereby the groom's family offered drinks to the bride's family, and then 

moved to an  engagement  period when the bride price was negotiated. Once satisfactory 

payment was made, the bride could move in with her husband. 

    Among the Ga people, the pattern of negotiating marriage was similar in that it 

progressed in stages and culminated with the payment of the bride price. However, once the 

bride price was paid, the bride often continued to live with her mother. Duolocal residence was 

the norm for married couples. The men and women of the Ga people once lived in separate 

spaces, with men living with their brothers in groups of 3 to 10. Thus, there was no expectation 

that newlyweds would establish their own household separate from the extended family. Ga 

extended family households were women headed economic units based on trade, and all the 

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