Female Economic Participation With Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Advancement: Evidence From Sub-Saharan Africa
South African Journal of Economics, 86(2), pp. 231-246 (June, 2018). DOI: 10.1111/saje.12194
28 Pages Posted: 4 Mar 2018 Last revised: 22 Jun 2018
Date Written: January 3, 2018
Abstract
This study complements existing literature by investigating how the advancement in information and communication technology affects the formal economic participation of women. The focus is on 48 African countries for the period 1990-2014. The empirical evidence is based on Ordinary Least Squares, Fixed Effects and the Generalized Method of Moments regressions. The results show that improving communication technology increases female economic participation with the following consistent order of increasing magnitude: mobile phone penetration; internet penetration, and fixed broadband subscriptions. The findings are robust to the control for heterogeneities across countries. Policy implications are discussed.
Keywords: Africa, Gender, ICT, Inclusive Development, Technology
JEL Classification: G20, I10, I32, O40, O55
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation