Nothing makes me quite as joyful as walking through an outdoor market in another country. I must say that Africa holds some of the coolest outdoor markets, and the markets I visited in Ghana did not disappoint. Filled with a beautiful combination of various smells from the delicious street foods being cooked up and sold right there; and gorgeous, bright colors from the variety of clothing, jewelry, bags, and trinkets for sale, the Ghanaian local markets were a sight to behold and a joy to experience. However, these markets cannot be discussed without paying homage to the amazing women who work in them.
It is true that both men and women work hard day in and day out in these markets, but I really wanted to spotlight the incredible women here. Their days begin with hauling their goods to the market, usually via a basket balanced perfectly atop their heads, and then manning their booths and standing in these markets until the day is done or their products have sold out—whichever occurs first with the hope that the latter is the case. These women are so full of personality and usually drive a hard bargain, and they hold a certain pride in the goods they are selling and the job they are accomplishing. It can be argued that I enjoy visiting these markets because I love shopping and am drawn to the goods sold within their bounds. However, I would argue that my main draw to these markets is the exciting people you can encounter when you shop there.
