IMF Working Papers

Fintech, Female Employment, and Gender Inequality

By Boileau Loko, Yuanchen Yang

June 3, 2022

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Boileau Loko, and Yuanchen Yang. Fintech, Female Employment, and Gender Inequality, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2022) accessed November 21, 2024

Disclaimer: IMF Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to encourage debate. The views expressed in IMF Working Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.

Summary

Fintech, which delivers financial services digitally, promises to promote financial inclusion and close the gender gap. Using a novel fintech dataset for 114 economies worldwide, this paper shows that fintech adoption significantly improves female employment and reduces gender inequality, the effect being more pronounced in firms without traditional financial access. Fintech not only increases the number and ratio of female employees in the workforce, but also mitigates financial constraints of female-headed firms. Digital divide and poor institutions weaken such benefits. Endogeneity is accounted for by a fixed effects identification strategy. We conclude by providing policy recommendations and outlining avenues for future research.

Subject: Economic sectors, Employment, Fintech, Gender, Gender inequality, Labor, Small and medium enterprises, Technology, Women

Keywords: Asia and Pacific, Caribbean, Effects identification strategy, Employment, Fintech, Fintech adoption, Fintech firm, Gender gap in Fintech adoption, Gender Inequality, Global, Loan access, Middle East, Service sector, Small and medium enterprises, Sub-Saharan Africa, Women

Publication Details

  • Pages:

    39

  • Volume:

    ---

  • DOI:

    ---

  • Issue:

    ---

  • Series:

    Working Paper No. 2022/108

  • Stock No:

    WPIEA2022108

  • ISBN:

    9798400210655

  • ISSN:

    1018-5941

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