IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/vrs/ecobur/v11y2025i1p55-81n1001.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The impact of women’s economic empowerment on human development in sub-Saharan Africa: A panel quantile regression approach

Author

Listed:
  • Mekhzoumi Lotfi

    (Faculty of Economics, University of Shahid Hama Lakhdar – El Oued, P.O. Box: 789 El Oued, Algeria)

  • Chikh-Amnache Sabrina

    (Faculty of Economics, University of Mouloud Mammeri – Tizi-Ouzou, New Town, P.O. Box: 17 Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria)

  • Mekhzoumi Nabila

    (Faculty of Economics, University of Shahid Hama Lakhdar – El Oued, P.O. Box: 789 El Oued, Algeria)

Abstract

This paper uses a panel quantile regression approach to study the economic empowerment of women in sub-Saharan Africa and how it impacts human development. Analysing data collected from 42 countries covering the period 2000–2023, the study looks at various indicators of women’s economic empowerment. The impacts of women’s economic empowerment are found to differ depending on quantile levels; female entrepreneurship shows a significant impact only at higher levels. Across all levels, marriage rights and workplace participation repeatedly show positive impacts. The Gender Development Index’s significant positive impact underscores the importance of gender equality for overall human development. Parenting rights and mobility show positive results at most levels, though there are some variations.

Suggested Citation

  • Mekhzoumi Lotfi & Chikh-Amnache Sabrina & Mekhzoumi Nabila, 2025. "The impact of women’s economic empowerment on human development in sub-Saharan Africa: A panel quantile regression approach," Economics and Business Review, Sciendo, vol. 11(1), pages 55-81.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:ecobur:v:11:y:2025:i:1:p:55-81:n:1001
    DOI: 10.18559/ebr.2025.1.1698
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.18559/ebr.2025.1.1698
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.18559/ebr.2025.1.1698?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mothobi, Onkokame & Grzybowski, Lukasz, 2017. "Infrastructure deficiencies and adoption of mobile money in Sub-Saharan Africa," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 71-79.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. N'dri, Lasme Mathieu & Kakinaka, Makoto, 2020. "Financial inclusion, mobile money, and individual welfare: The case of Burkina Faso," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(3).
    2. Luc Jacolin & Joseph Keneck Massil & Alphonse Noah, 2021. "Informal sector and mobile financial services in emerging and developing countries: Does financial innovation matter?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(9), pages 2703-2737, September.
    3. Cariolle, Joël, 2021. "International connectivity and the digital divide in Sub-Saharan Africa," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    4. Richard Chamboko, 2024. "Digital financial services adoption: a retrospective time-to-event analysis approach," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 10(1), pages 1-27, December.
    5. Georges V. Houngbonon & Erwan Le Quentrec & Stefania Rubrichi, 2021. "Access to electricity and digital inclusion: evidence from mobile call detail records," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-11, December.
    6. Naito, Hisahiro & Yamamoto, Shinnosuke, 2022. "Is better access to mobile networks associated with increased mobile money adoption? Evidence from the micro-data of six developing countries," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(6).
    7. Hisahiro Naito & Shinnosuke Yamamoto, 2022. "Is Better Access to Mobile Networks Associated with Increased Mobile Money Adoption? Evidence from the Micro-data of Six Developing Countries," Tsukuba Economics Working Papers 2022-001, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Tsukuba.
    8. Scott Burns, 2018. "M‐Pesa and the ‘Market‐Led’ Approach to Financial Inclusion," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(3), pages 406-421, October.
    9. Joël Cariolle & David A Carroll, 2022. "The Use of Digital for Public Service Provision in Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers hal-03004535, HAL.
    10. Barry, Mamadou Saliou & Creti, Anna, 2020. "Pay-as-you-go contracts for electricity access: Bridging the “last mile” gap? A case study in Benin," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    11. Ky, Serge Stéphane & Rugemintwari, Clovis & Sauviat, Alain, 2021. "Friends or Foes? Mobile money interaction with formal and informal finance," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(1).
    12. Dyah Titis Kusuma Wardani & Navi'ah Khusniati & Susilo Nur Aji Cokro Darsono, 2023. "Sociodemographic Effects on Financial Inclusion: Implications from Online Transaction in Developing-8 Countriesfrom Online Transaction in Developing-8 Countries Abstract: The world has reached the ind," Economics and Finance in Indonesia, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia, vol. 69, pages 67-86, Juni.
    13. Grzybowski Lukasz & Lindlacher Valentin & Mothobi Onkokame, 2023. "Interoperability Between Mobile Money Agents and Choice of Network Operators: The Case of Tanzania," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 22(1), pages 27-52, June.
    14. Mamadou Saliou Barry & Anna Creti, 2020. "Pay-as-you-go contracts for electricity access: bridging the « last mile » gap? A case study in Benin," Working Papers 2006, Chaire Economie du climat.
    15. Avom, Désiré & Bangaké, Chrysost & Ndoya, Hermann, 2023. "Do financial innovations improve financial inclusion? Evidence from mobile money adoption in Africa," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    16. Atangana Ondoa, Henri & Ambombo Bella, Genevieve Lareine & Mbenga Bindop, Kunz Modeste, 2023. "Mobile money, family assistance and welfare in Cameroon," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(1).
    17. Stephen Onyekachi Obiya, 2024. "Leveraging Blockchain and Data Analytics to Enhance Financial Inclusion in Nigeria: A Study of Blockchain-Based Information System," International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), vol. 11(10), pages 547-557, October.
    18. Grzybowski, Lukasz & Lindlacher, Valentin & Mothobi, Onkokame, 2023. "Mobile money and financial inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    19. Kabengele, Christian & Hahn, Rüdiger, 2021. "Institutional and firm-level factors for mobile money adoption in emerging markets–A configurational analysis," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    20. Lorna Katusiime, 2021. "Mobile Money Use: The Impact of Macroeconomic Policy and Regulation," Economies, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-19, April.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    women’s economic empowerment; human development; sub-Saharan Africa; panel quantile regression; gender equality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:vrs:ecobur:v:11:y:2025:i:1:p:55-81:n:1001. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.sciendo.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.