Going local with global policies: Understanding the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals in Ghana
Abstract
Localization processes employed to translate the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) commitments into results at the local level are complex and can positively or negatively impact SDG outcomes. Accordingly, scholarship on SDG localization is increasing, with evidence from different contexts highlighting different interactions between local context factors and SDGs. In the Ghanaian context, no study has yet examined SDG localization at the local government level, though this governance scale is critical for SDG success. Several essential services necessary for the success of the SDGs are delivered at the local level, and policies can be better targeted to address the needs of vulnerable individuals. Therefore, this dissertation focuses on SDG localization in Ghana’s local government context to understand the implication of localization efforts for SDG outcomes, particularly the LNOB commitment. While the SDGs include an ambitious promise to leave no one behind (LNOB), that is, a pledge to end extreme poverty in all its forms, limited studies explore the perspectives of vulnerable individuals at risk of being left behind. To my knowledge, this is the first scholarship on SDGs localization to include the perspective of women at risk of being left behind.
Using the norm localization theory and qualitative research methods, this research emphasizes the agency of local actors in SDG localization. The empirical evidence underscores local governments as pivotal actors in local development. The findings also emphasize the local government level as an accelerator of the SDGs. By framing the SDGs in a way that makes them relevant to local contexts and prioritizing the SDGs to focus on the issues most pertinent to their localities, local governments optimize resources and promote the SDGs’ LNOB promise.
The research also employs the photovoice methodology to vividly depict the lived experiences of women experiencing multiple deprivations. By positioning the women participants as advocates of their own development, this study demonstrates the complexity of women’s needs and emphasizes that placing women’s needs at the centre of SDGs localization efforts will facilitate progress on the SDGs’ ambition to leave no one behind.