Female Economic Participation with Information and Communication Technology Advancement: Evidence from Sub‐Saharan Africa

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 in the paper.

How enhancing information and communication technology has affected inequality in Africa for sustainable development: An empirical investigation

“…Consistent with recent information technology literature for inclusive development, three ICT indicators are used, namely, mobile phone penetration, internet penetration, and fixed broadband subscriptions (Asongu & Odhiambo, 2018b;Efobi et al, 2018). In line with the attendant inequality literature, three control variables are adopted, notably, political stability, remittances, and financial stability (Anyanwu, 2011;Meniago & Asongu, 2018;Tchamyou, 2018aTchamyou, , 2018b.…”

“…According to the theoretical underpinning, information technology enhances socio‐economic development and the well‐being of citizens (Asongu, le Roux, Nwachukwu, & Pyke, ; Asongu, Nwachukwu, & Pyke, ; Bongomin, Ntayi, Munene, & Malinga, ; Muthinja & Chipeta, ; Uduji & Okolo‐Obasi, , ). Arguments provided to support the importance of ICT in inclusive human development include the following: (a) It offers enabling conditions to avoid physically moving from one place to another by allowing users to perform activities from a distance (Efobi et al, ; Shaikh & Karjaluoto, ; Ureta, ); (b) ICT enhances access to relevant and timely information, which is crucial in development activities, essentially because it increases users' cheap access to inputs of development, expands their capabilities, and limits existing barriers (Smith, Spence, & Rashid, ); and (c) the highlighted positive development externalities are more rewarding to the poor than to the rich factions of the population in Africa (Asongu, ). In summary, the engaged literature is broadly consistent with the position that the underlying benefits are more relevant in poor households than in rich households.…”

Corporate social responsibility and the role of rural women in sustainable agricultural development in sub‐Saharan Africa: Evidence from the Niger Delta in Nigeria

“…Hence, women are vulnerable to poverty because most of them have limited access to agricultural land and their participation in the GMoUs programmes is often through their husbands or adult sons . As critically engaged in Section 2.2, the extant literature has failed to assess the relevance of GMoUs programmes in African agriculture within the framework gender equality (see Akpan, 2006;Alfred, 2013;Collins, 2015;Doss, 2018;Edoho, 2008;Efobi, Tanankem, & Asongu, 2018;Eweje, 2006;Frynas, 2009;Idemudia, 2014;Jafry & Sulaiman, 2013;Lompo & Trani, 2013;Mukasa & Salami, 2016;Renouard & Lado, 2012;Sharaunga, Mudhara, & Bogale, 2015;Tuodolo, 2009;Uduji & Okolo-Obasi, 2017;Uduji, Okolo-Obasi, & Asongu, 2018c). 1 Background information and more insights into the GMoU are provided in Section 2.1.…”

How enhancing gender inclusion affects inequality: Thresholds of complementary policies for sustainable development

“…They include poverty reduction, environmental sustainability, consumer choice, and innovation. Compared with other regions in the world, in Africa, the concern of gender exclusion is particularly important because the continent is characterised by the lowest level of female economic participation in the formal economic sector (Efobi, Tananken, & Asongu, ). The focus of this research on assessing how enhancing female economic participation affects inequality in Africa is motivated by three main factors, namely, (a) the low gender inclusion in the formal economic sector , (b) the perilous character of inequality in the post‐2015 agenda of sustainable development goals (SDGs), and (c) gaps in the literature.…”

“…The account is supported by Hazel (), who maintains that the highest poverty rate among females in the world is in Africa. Furthermore, Efobi et al () argue that engaging more women in formal economic activities will improve socio‐economic development on a multitude of fronts, inter alia, reduce poverty, ameliorate labour market structural transformation, and augment female gender welfare. The contemporary importance of these benefits is even more worthwhile because of the inclusive development issues in the achievement of SDGs.…”