The impact of women’s economic empowerment on human development in sub-Saharan Africa: A panel quantile regression approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18559/ebr.2025.1.1698Keywords:
sub-Saharan Africa, women's economic empowerment, human development, panel quantile regression, gender equalityAbstract
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 2000–2023, the study looks at various indicators of women's economic empowerment. Key results show that the impacts of women's economic empowerment 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 fluctuations. Given the particular developmental settings of every nation or region, these findings emphasise the need for customised, context-specific policies to empower women and advance human development in Sub-Saharan Africa.
JEL Classification
Panel Data Models • Spatio-temporal Models (C23)
Economics of Gender • Non-labor Discrimination (J16)
Human Resources • Human Development • Income Distribution • Migration (O15)
Africa (O55)
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