Dissecting the digital divide: A household fixed effects approach to estimating gender gaps in digital skills of youth in low- and middle-income economies.

剖析数字鸿沟 ： 一种家庭固定效应方法 ， 用于估计低收入和中等收入经济体青年数字技能方面的性别差距。

• 影响指数: 3.776
• 发表时间: 2024 Jun 30
• 来源期刊: Heliyon
• DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33127
• PMID: 38994092
• 文章类型: Journal Article
• 作者列表: Avanesian G,Zaw HT,Kelly P,Mizunoya S

关键词: COVID-19; Digital divide; Digital skills; Gender gaps; Household fixed effects; Household wealth; Mixed-effect models; Youth

Abstract

This study investigates gender gaps in digital skills among youth (15-24 years old) in 32 low- and middle-income economies using data from UNICEF-supported and internationally comparable Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). Utilizing a household fixed effects approach, we aim to isolate gender-based disparities from household-level variations. The intra-household analysis reveals significant inequalities, with biases against young women in possessing digital skills, including the very basic ones. Supplementary analysis using a mixed-effects model, which accounts separately for within- and between-household variation, highlights that wealthier households exhibit larger gender gaps in digital skills, disadvantaging young women primarily due to a floor effect in the poorest households. The paper concludes with policy implications aimed at reducing gender gaps in digital skills.

摘要

这项研究使用联合国儿童基金会支持的和国际可比的多指标类集调查（MICS）的数据，调查了32个低收入和中等收入经济体青年（15-24岁）在数字技能方面的性别差距。利用家庭固定效应方法，我们的目标是将基于性别的差异从家庭层面的差异中分离出来。家庭内部分析揭示了显著的不平等，对年轻女性拥有数字技能的偏见，包括最基本的。使用混合效应模型的补充分析，分别考虑家庭内部和家庭之间的差异，强调较富裕的家庭在数字技能方面表现出更大的性别差距，主要是由于最贫困家庭的地板效应，使年轻女性处于不利地位。本文最后提出了旨在减少数字技能中性别差距的政策含义。