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ICT dynamics for gender inclusive intermediary education: minimum poverty and inequality thresholds in developing countries

Author

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  • Simplice A. Asongu

    (Yaounde, Cameroon)

  • Mouna Amari

    (University of Sfax, Tunisia)

  • Anis Jarboui

    (University of Sfax, Tunisia)

  • Khaireddine Mouakhar

    (Normandy Business School, France)

Abstract

This study examines linkages between information and communication technology (ICT) dynamics, inequality and poverty in order to establish critical masses of poverty and inequality that should not be exceeded in order for ICT dynamics to promote gender inclusive education in 57 developing countries for the period 2012-2016. Poverty is measured with the poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of the population) while inequality is proxied by the Gini coefficient, the Atkinson index and the Palma ratio. The ICT dynamics are measured with ‘internet access in school’, ‘virtual social network’, ‘personal computers’ ‘mobile phone penetration’, ‘internet penetration’ and ‘fixed broadband subscriptions’. The empirical evidence is based on interactive Generalized Method of Moments estimators from which thresholds are computed contingent on the validity of tested hypotheses. First, the Gini coefficient should not exceed 0.5618 in order for ‘internet access in school’ to positively affect inclusive education. Second, the poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of the population) should remain below 33.6842% in order for ‘internet access in school’ to favorably influence inclusive education. Third, the Palma ratio should not exceed 3.3766 in order for internet penetration to favorably affect inclusive education. Fourth, for personal computers to increase inclusive education, the Gini coefficient, Palma ratio and poverty headcount (% of the population) should not exceed 0.4781, 3.5294 and 17.7272, respectively. The study confirms the significant role technological deepening plays in advancing inclusive education by means of policies that reduce poverty and income inequality, with potentially wider applicability to other developing economies. The study has provided poverty and inequality levels that should not be exceeded in order for personal computers, internet penetration and ‘internet access in school’ to promote gender inclusive education.

Suggested Citation

  • Simplice A. Asongu & Mouna Amari & Anis Jarboui & Khaireddine Mouakhar, 2021. "ICT dynamics for gender inclusive intermediary education: minimum poverty and inequality thresholds in developing countries," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 21/012, African Governance and Development Institute..
    • Handle: RePEc:agd:wpaper:21/012
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    Cited by:

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    2. Kant, Vivek & Tapia, Ridhima & Mondal, Saikat, 2022. "Sustainability of mobile IT sector in industrially developing countries by supporting repairability," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(6).
    3. Simplice A. Asongu & Mushfiqur Rahman & Okeoma J-P Okeke & Afzal S. Munna, 2021. "Tourism management for financial access in Sub-Saharan Africa: inequality thresholds," Working Papers 21/079, European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS).
    4. Wanglin Ma & Puneet Vatsa & Hongyun Zheng & Emmanuel Donkor & Victor Owusu, 2023. "Does Adoption of Information and Communication Technology Reduce Objective and Subjective Well-Being Inequality? Evidence from China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 169(1), pages 55-77, September.
    5. Bacha, Radia & Gasmi, Farid, 2022. "The broadband diffusion process and its determinants in Algeria: A simultaneous estimation," TSE Working Papers 22-1309, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    6. Atif Awad, 2023. "Information and communication technologies role in alleviating poverty in Sub‐Saharan Africa: Impacts and transmission channels," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(2), pages 1149-1165, April.
    7. Goel, Raj Kumar & Vishnoi, Shweta, 2022. "Urbanization and sustainable development for inclusiveness using ICTs," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(6).
    8. Christina Sanchita Shah & Supunmali Ahangama, 2023. "A Cross-Country Examination of Internet Penetration and the Economic Participation of Women: The Influence of Social Capital and Gender Equality," IIM Kozhikode Society & Management Review, , vol. 12(2), pages 182-196, July.
    9. Phan, Van-Phuc, 2023. "Is the internet penetration pro-poor? Evidence from a panel data analysis," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(8).
    10. Clemens Pizzinini & Emanuel D’Amico & Korbinian Götz & Markus Lienkamp, 2023. "Driving Sustainable Development: The Power of Vehicle-Based Services in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-17, August.
    11. Awad, Atif & Albaity, Mohamed, 2022. "ICT and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: Transmission channels and effects," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(8).
    12. Honoré Tekam Oumbé & Ronald Djeunankan & Alain Mekia Ndzana, 2023. "Does information and communication technologies affect economic complexity?," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(4), pages 1-25, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Inclusive; Education; Inequality; Technology; Thresholds;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I3 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty
    • L96 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Telecommunications
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa

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