Gender gap in financial inclusion: Evidence from MENA

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the gender dimension of financial inclusion in MENA countries. Using the World Bank's 2017 Global Findex Database, it explores the underlying factors of gender differences in formal financial services usage via Fairlie decomposition method. The findings of the study indicate that a significant portion of the disparity in financial inclusion is attributable to employment, while age and tertiary education are also found as contributing factors to the financial inclusion gap. Another notable finding is that upper income quintiles contribute positively to the gender gap, indeed to a greater extent compared to lower income groups.