Thesis Format
Integrated Article
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Program
Geography and Environment
Collaborative Specialization
Environment and Sustainability
Supervisor
Arku, Godwin
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.
Summary for Lay Audience
In 2015, in adopting the SDGs, global leaders made a bold promise to end poverty everywhere permanently and leave no one behind (LNOB). Achieving the SDGs objectives depends on the localization strategies adopted in local settings to translate the global promises into results. Nonetheless, the localization process is complex and can result in either diluting or strengthening the original intent of the global policy. Recognizing the importance of localization, several studies have examined local implementation mechanisms and their implications for the global agenda. However, no study has examined SDG localization from the perspective of individuals with a lived experience of deprivation who are at risk of being left behind. This study fills this knowledge gap by analyzing the perspectives of thirty-one at-risk women on issues to prioritize in SDGs localization to fulfil the LNOB promise. The dissertation utilized the photovoice methodology, combining photography and critical dialogue to provide a vivid depiction of the women’s lived experiences. The findings emphasize that the opinions of people at risk of being left behind, especially women, are necessary to facilitate SDG localization that accounts for the sociocultural factors that deepen vulnerability and cause people to be left behind.
In the Ghanaian context, no study has yet focused on SDGs localization at the local government level, though essential services necessary for the success of the SDGs are delivered at that level. This study, therefore, examines local practitioners’ interpretation and prioritization of the SDGs using empirical evidence from governmental and non-governmental policy practitioners at the national and local levels in Ghana. The findings underscore the local government level as an important facilitator of the LNOB promise. Local governments navigate their implementation reality by framing the SDGs in a way that makes them relevant to local contexts. Additionally, selectively prioritizing the SDGs to focus on the issues most pertinent to their localities enables local governments to optimize resources and promote the SDG’s LNOB promise. Nonetheless, the context-specific challenges they encounter, including resource inadequacy and political pressure, still present risks of localization negatively impacting the LNOB promise and creating false impressions of success.
Recommended Citation
Annan-Aggrey, Eunice Akua, "Going local with global policies: Understanding the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals in Ghana" (2024). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 10044.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/10044