Can Digital Financial Inclusion Promote Women’s Labor Force Participation? Microlevel Evidence from Africa

Abstract

Our study analyzes the relationship between digital financial inclusion and women’s labor force participation, as well as shedding light on the barriers to women’s digital financial inclusion. We have mobilized a microeconomic database that covers 15,192 African women. Our database is extracted from the Global Findex database, 2021 edition, based on nationally representative surveys of 29 African countries. The Probit model estimation methodology is used to examine the empirical results. Our findings reveal that financial inclusion via the digital channel is positively associated with women’s labor force participation more than the traditional channel. A significant and positive impact of formal financial services channels on the level of women’s participation in the labor market was uncovered. Our research has shown that women face a variety of obstacles when it comes to accessing financial services, both through traditional channels and digital means. These barriers include nonvoluntary obstacles in traditional financial inclusion channels. However, as a woman’s income level increases, the intensity of these barriers decreases. When it comes to digital financial inclusion, women often face a unique set of obstacles, such as the high cost of mobile financial services, lack of money, and lack of access to a cellphone. The study contributes to the existing literature by investigating the impact of digital financial inclusion on women’s labor force participation in African countries and identifying barriers that hinder women’s digital financial inclusion based on individual-level data. It suggests that African policymakers should increase women’s financial inclusion through digital channels to improve their participation in the labor market.