Exploring New Pathways to Gender Equality in Education: Does Information and Communication Technology Matter?

Abstract

Through the use of the System Generalized Method of Moments Technique, this study aims to establish links between Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), gender equality in education and economic growth, for segregated levels of education. The study focuses on the decade of 2000-2010 for the case of Lower Middle Income countries. Through simultaneous solution of the models, it is concluded that ICTs do have some potential to promote gender equality but the relationship is not strong enough, either due to lack of relevant statistical data or due to inefficient integration of ICTs into the society. It is, however, deduced that the strongest factor promoting gender equality is the average schooling of adult population. Furthermore, the study finds out that for lower middle income countries, gender equality at lower levels of education plays an important role in economic growth than gender equality in higher education.