scholarly journals Inequality and the Economic Participation of Women in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Empirical Investigation

Author(s):  
Simplice Asongu ◽  
Nicholas Odhiambo
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simplice Asongu ◽  
Nicholas Odhiambo

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of inequality on female employment in 42 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) for the period 2004–2014. Design/methodology/approach Three inequality indicators are used, namely, the: Gini coefficient, Atkinson index and Palma ratio. Two indicators of gender inclusion are also employed, namely: female employment and female unemployment rates. The empirical analysis is based on the generalised method of moments. Findings The following main findings are established. First, inequality increases female unemployment in regressions based on the Palma ratio. Second, from the robustness checks, inequality reduces female employment within the frameworks of the Gini coefficient and Palma ratio. Originality/value Studies on the relevance of income inequality on female economic participation in SSA are sparse.


2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simplice Asongu ◽  
Nicholas Odhiambo

Purpose This study aims to provide the thresholds of inequality that should not be exceeded if gender inclusive education is to enhance gender inclusive formal economic participation in sub-Saharan Africa. Design/methodology/approach The empirical evidence is based on the generalised method of moments and data from 42 countries during the period 2004-2014. Findings The following findings are established. First, inclusive tertiary education unconditionally promotes gender economic inclusion, while the interaction between tertiary education and inequality is unfavourable to gender economic inclusion. Second, a Gini coefficient that nullifies the positive incidence of inclusive tertiary education on female labour force participation is 0.562. Second, the Gini coefficient and Palma ratio that crowd-out the negative unconditional effects of inclusive tertiary education on female unemployment are 0.547 and 6.118, respectively. Third, a 0.578 Gini coefficient, a 0.680 Atkinson index and a 6.557 Palma ratio are critical masses that wipe out the positive unconditional effects of inclusive tertiary education on female employment. The findings associated with lower levels of education are not significant. Practical implications As the main policy implication, income inequality should not be tolerated above the established thresholds for gender inclusive education to promote gender inclusive formal economic participation. Other implications are discussed in the light of sustainable development goals. Originality/value This study complements the existing literature by providing inequality thresholds that should not be exceeded for gender inclusive education to promote the involvement of women in the formal economic sector.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Jeffrey R. Bloem

Abstract Many researchers use an ordinal scale to quantitatively measure and analyze concepts. Theoretically valid empirical estimates are robust in sign to any monotonic increasing transformation of the ordinal scale. This presents challenges for the point-identification of important parameters of interest. I develop a partial identification method for testing the robustness of empirical estimates to a range of plausible monotonic increasing transformations of the ordinal scale. This method allows for the calculation of plausible bounds around effect estimates. I illustrate this method by revisiting analysis by Nunn and Wantchekon (2011, American Economic Review, 101, 3221–3252) on the slave trade and trust in sub-Saharan Africa. Supplemental illustrations examine results from (i) Aghion et al. (2016, American Economic Review, 106, 3869–3897) on creative destruction and subjective well-being and (ii) Bond and Lang (2013, The Review of Economics and Statistics, 95, 1468–1479) on the fragility of the black–white test score gap.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simplice Asongu ◽  
Uchenna Efobi ◽  
Belmondo Tanankem ◽  
Evans Stephen Osabuohien

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