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Female Empowerment as a Core Driver of Democratic Development: A Dynamic Panel Model from 1980 to 2005

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  • Wyndow, Paula
  • Li, Jianghong
  • Mattes, Eugen

Abstract

We investigated the causal effects of female empowerment (female educational attainment, female labor force participation, and total fertility rates) on democratic development for 97 countries from 1980 to 2005. Using Polity IV as an indicator of levels of democracy, our results show that female empowerment was strongly associated with democratic development over this period. The effect of female education increased with lags of 5 and 10years, suggesting that democracy is more likely to occur in nations with a history of educating girls and a longer experience of the social and economic conditions that have occurred because of this investment.

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  • Wyndow, Paula & Li, Jianghong & Mattes, Eugen, 2013. "Female Empowerment as a Core Driver of Democratic Development: A Dynamic Panel Model from 1980 to 2005," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 34-54.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:52:y:2013:i:c:p:34-54
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2013.06.004
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    8. Ibrahim A. Adekunle & Toluwani G. Kalejaiye & Ayomide, O. Ogunade & Sina J. Ogede & Caleb O. Soyemi, 2020. "Engendering Macroeconomic Policy for Gender Equality in sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 20/095, African Governance and Development Institute..
    9. Ibrahim A. Adekunle & Toluwani G. Kalejaiye & Ayomide O. Ogunade & Sina J. Ogede & Caleb O. Soyemi, 2020. "Engendering Macroeconomic Policy for Gender Equality in sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers of The Association for Promoting Women in Research and Development in Africa (ASPROWORDA). 20/009, The Association for Promoting Women in Research and Development in Africa (ASPROWORDA).
    10. Trommlerová, Sofia Karina & Klasen, Stephan & Leßmann, Ortrud, 2015. "Determinants of Empowerment in a Capability-Based Poverty Approach: Evidence from The Gambia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 1-15.
    11. Elisabete Nogueira & Sofia Gomes & João M. Lopes, 2022. "The Key to Sustainable Economic Development: A Triple Bottom Line Approach," Resources, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-18, May.
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    14. P. K. Mishra & S. K. Mishra & M. K. Sarangi, 2020. "Do Women’s Advancement and Gender Parity Promote Economic Growth? Evidence from 30 Asian Countries," Millennial Asia, , vol. 11(1), pages 5-26, April.
    15. Sajad Rahimian, 2021. "The Determinants of Democracy Revisited: An Instrumental Variable Bayesian Model Averaging Approach," Papers 2103.04255, arXiv.org.
    16. Nouha Bougharriou & Walid Benayed & Foued Badr Gabsi, 2019. "Education and democracy in the Arab world," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 139-155, May.
    17. Ritchie, Holly A., 2016. "Unwrapping Institutional Change in Fragile Settings: Women Entrepreneurs Driving Institutional Pathways in Afghanistan," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 39-53.
    18. Ibrahim A. Adekunle & Toluwani G. Kalejaiye & Ayomide, O. Ogunade & Sina J. Ogede & Caleb O. Soyemi, 2020. "Engendering Macroeconomic Policy for Gender Equality in sub-Saharan Africa," Research Africa Network Working Papers 20/095, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    19. Dirk Clercq & Steven A. Brieger & Christian Welzel, 2021. "Leveraging the macro-level environment to balance work and life: an analysis of female entrepreneurs’ job satisfaction," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 1361-1384, April.
    20. Sundström, Aksel & Paxton, Pamela & Wang, Yi-Ting & Lindberg, Staffan I., 2017. "Women’s Political Empowerment: A New Global Index, 1900–2012," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 321-335.
    21. Sojin Yu & Feinian Chen & Sonalde Desai, 2023. "Aligning household decision-making with work and education: A comparative analysis of women’s empowerment," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 48(19), pages 513-548.

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