The role of education in filling the gender gap in financial inclusion in low-income economies

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate whether gender predicts financial inclusion and whether education can fill the gender gap in financial inclusion when controlling for the effects of supply side factors of financial inclusion in low-income economies.

Design/methodology/approach

This study aims to investigate whether gender predicts financial inclusion and whether education can fill the gender gap in financial inclusion when controlling for the effects of supply side factors of financial inclusion in low-income economies.

Findings

The findings provided support for the gender gap in financial inclusion using the most basic measure of financial inclusion. However, using formal savings and access to credit, the gender gap hypothesis is not supported. Moreover, the results revealed that education reduces the gender gap in the basic form of financial inclusion. However, this study could not find any significant difference between men and women's financial inclusion in terms of saving at a bank or borrowing from a bank though men tend to save more than women informally.

Originality/value

The current study contributes to the literature by examining the role of education in the relationship between gender gap and financial inclusion when controlling for the effects of heterogeneous infrastructure and the supply side factors of financial inclusion among the selected countries.

Citation

Pahlevan Sharif, S., Naghavi, N., Waheed, H. and Ehigiamusoe, K.U. (2023), "The role of education in filling the gender gap in financial inclusion in low-income economies", International Journal of Emerging Markets, Vol. 18 No. 12, pp. 5755-5777. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOEM-07-2021-0991