Determinants of Financial Inclusion Gender Gap in Ethiopia: Evidence From Decomposition Analysis

Abstract In Ethiopia, the gender gap in financial inclusion is high, and the effect of socioeconomic variables on the gap is not well investigated. As a result, this study uses the World Bank’s Global Findex database from 2017 to analyze magnitude and determinants of the gender gap in financial inclusion in Ethiopia. Using Fairlie decomposition technique, we find statistically significant gender gap in all indicators of financial inclusion under study in Ethiopia. The result shows that the highest financial inclusion gender gap is observed in formal saving followed by formal account holding. The decomposition results show males are 16.5%, 16.6%, 8.9 %, 8.4 %t, and 5.8% more likely to have a formal account, formal saving, borrowing, emergency fund possibility, and debit card ownership, respectively. We further decompose these gaps using Daymont and Andrisani approach and the result reveals that differences in coefficients between males and females explain 57.7% in formal saving, 43.4% in formal account holding, and 110.9% in borrowing from formal financial institutions. About 54.2% of the total gender gap in possibility of raising emergcency fund is attributed to differences in characteristics/predictors between the two genders while gender gap in debit card holding is explained by the iteraction between differences in characterisctics and coefficients. Being older, more educated, and wealthier favor financial inclusion, with age, employment, and education having a greater effect. Furthermore, gaps in coefficients, productivity, and advantage to males and disadvantage to females aggravate the gender gap in financial inclusion in Ethiopia. Gender mainstreaming in economic activities to increase income, employment opportunities and education for females to bridge the gender gap in financial inclusion is important.