Abstract:
A persistent disparity has been observed in the social and economic development of women, particularly evident in South Asia's lower female labor force participation. This study investigates how mobile phone ownership can overcome this disadvantage. Using an instrumental variable approach and comprehensive household panel dataset from rural Bangladesh, we show that women's mobile phone ownership is significantly associated with an increase in their off-farm income, attributable to an enhancement in the likelihood of offfarm employment. Moreover, the findings demonstrate that the adoption of mobile phones has the potential benefits being distributed equitably across various levels of education, wealth, and remoteness. The findings, as corroborated by a series of robustness checks, underscore the importance of digitalization in promoting inclusive development.
