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Does the Internet Reduce Gender Gaps? : The Case of Jordan

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  • Viollaz,Mariana
  • Winkler,Hernan Jorge

Abstract

This article investigates the link between digital technologies and female labor market outcomes in a country with one of the largest gender disparities. It exploits the massive roll-out of mobile broadband technology in Jordan between 2010 and 2016 to identify the effect of internet adoption on labor force participation. Using panel data at the individual level with rich information on labor market outcomes, internet use and gender-biased social norms, the article finds that internet adoption increases female labor force participation but has no effect on male labor force participation. The increase in online job search explains some -- but not all -- of the total increase in female labor force participation. Only older and skilled women experience an increase in employment in response to having internet access. The internet also reduces the prevalence of gender-biased social norms, early marriage and fertility.

Suggested Citation

  • Viollaz,Mariana & Winkler,Hernan Jorge, 2020. "Does the Internet Reduce Gender Gaps? : The Case of Jordan," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9183, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:9183
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    Cited by:

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    2. Asif M. Islam & Silvia Muzi, 2022. "Does mobile money enable women-owned businesses to invest? Firm-level evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 1245-1271, October.
    3. Kusumawardhani, Niken & Pramana, Rezanti & Saputri, Nurmala Selly & Suryadarma, Daniel, 2023. "Heterogeneous impact of internet availability on female labor market outcomes in an emerging economy: Evidence from Indonesia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    4. Jain Ritika, 2021. "Information and Communication Technology Adoption and the Demand for Female Labor: The Case of Indian Industry," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 21(2), pages 695-722, April.
    5. Galperin, Hernan & Arcidiacono, Malena, 2021. "Employment and the gender digital divide in Latin America: A decomposition analysis," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(7).
    6. Bahia,Kalvin & Castells,Pau & Masaki,Takaaki & Cruz,Genaro & Rodriguez Castelan,Carlos & Sanfelice,Viviane, 2021. "Mobile Broadband Internet, Poverty and Labor Outcomes in Tanzania," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9749, The World Bank.
    7. Puig Gabarró, Pau & Katz, Raúl & Galperin, Hernán & Callorda, Fernando & Iglesias Rodriguez, Enrique & García Zaballos, Antonio & Robles, Marcos & Valencia, Ramiro, 2022. "Measuring the Socioeconomic Impact of Last-Mile Infrastructure Development in Latin America and the Caribbean," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 12294, Inter-American Development Bank.
    8. Fanlue Li & Ke He & Run Zhu & Junbiao Zhang & Ming Gao, 2023. "Rural low‐carbon energy development in the information age: Can internet access drive the farmer to participate in personal carbon trading schemes related to bioenergy?," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(3), pages 1417-1432, June.
    9. Kumo, Kazuhiro & Perugini, Cristiano, 2023. "Religion, Ideology and Fertility," IZA Discussion Papers 16159, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Zhongwu Li & Fengzhi Lu, 2024. "The power of Internet: from the perspective of women’s bargaining power," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, December.
    11. Bahia, Kalvin & Castells, Pau & Cruz, Genaro & Masaki, Takaaki & Pedrós, Xavier & Pfutze, Tobias & Rodriguez Castelan, Carlos & Winkler, Hernan, 2020. "The Welfare Effects of Mobile Broadband Internet: Evidence from Nigeria," IZA Discussion Papers 13219, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Amin,Mohammad & Islam,Asif Mohammed, 2022. "The Impact of Paid Maternity Leave on Women’s Employment : Evidence Using Firm-LevelSurvey Data from Developing Countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10188, The World Bank.
    13. Yu Shuangshuang & Wenzhong Zhu & Nafeesa Mughal & Sergio Ivan Vargas Aparcana & Iskandar Muda, 2023. "The impact of education and digitalization on female labour force participation in BRICS: an advanced panel data analysis," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-9, December.
    14. Mina Baliamoune, 2022. "Trade and Youth Labor Market Outcomes: Empirical Evidence and Policy Implications," Research papers & Policy papers 1945, Policy Center for the New South.
    15. Fietz, Katharina & Lay, Jann, 2023. "Digitalisation and labour markets in developing countries," GIGA Working Papers 335, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies.

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    Keywords

    Labor Markets; Rural Labor Markets; Gender and Development; Educational Sciences; Information Technology;
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