This study investigates the role of e-participation in anti-corruption efforts, using a large panel dataset and various linear and nonlinear estimation techniques, including random and fixed effects, generalized method of moments, and random forest machine learning algorithms. The findings reveal that e-participation significantly reduces corruption, with this effect holding across all country-income groups. The largest impact is observed in lower-middle-income countries, while high-income nations experience diminishing returns beyond a higher threshold. The study also highlights the complementary relationship between e-participation and e-government, showing that the combined of these digital tools strengthens anti-corruption efforts. E-information emerges as the most influential component, raising public awareness and enhancing transparency. Additionally, while early e-government adoption has minimal impact, its influence on reducing corruption strengthens over time, eventually surpassing that of e-participation. The results underscore the need for continuous innovation and institutional support to sustain the effectiveness of participation in combating corruption, especially in the face of evolving digital threats.
The developmental benefits of financial inclusion are well-documented, prompting many countries and organizations to adopt policies that expand access to formal financial services. These strategies often include enhancing access to digital technologies, based on the premise that information and communication technology (ICT) and e-government (IEG) can promote financial inclusion. We empirically test this premise using panel data from 70 countries over the period of 2008 to 2021. Employing fixed-effects and instrumental variable regressions, we find that higher levels of IEG development are associated with greater financial inclusion. Specifically, a one-point increase in the overall IEG index is associated with a 0.19-point higher overall financial inclusion score (0.45 after accounting for endogeneity). However, there are nuances to this finding. IEG is more strongly associated with the usage of financial services than with their availability or access. Moreover, developing crucial ICT infrastructure has a greater effect than making public services available online. In addition, the positive relationship between IEG and financial inclusion is generally stronger in lower-income economies and in countries with better governance. This study contributes to the literature on technology and development by identifying financial inclusion as a significant transmission channel with important policy implications for the design of digitalization strategies, particularly for developing economies.
Youth play a crucial role in social development, yet their voices are often underrepresented in policy discussions on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) that directly impact them. In Southern Africa, where SRH challenges persist despite ongoing interventions, socio-cultural, political, and religious barriers limit youth participation, further complicated by geopolitical tensions and diminishing aid. While research highlights the importance of addressing 'vulnerabilising contexts' rather than merely identifying 'vulnerable youth', effective mechanisms for youth advocacy remain limited. Digital citizen participation (DCP) platforms provide opportunities for youth to report access barriers and generate data for decision-making. However, the collection of sensitive SRH data necessitates responsible governance among diverse stakeholders with varying interests. This research examines the responsible data practices necessary for effective and ethical digital participation in SRHR initiatives for young people in Southern Africa. Applying contextual integrity theory to structure information flows between stakeholders, this conceptual paper leverages key parameters-contexts, attributes, and transmission principles-to examine the nature of responsible data and privacy in DCP for SRHR. The resulting framework offers guidance for ethical data governance in youth SRHR digital initiatives that centre contextual appropriateness and youth agency, while identifying critical questions regarding who should define transmission principles and whether datasharing rules should be explicit or shaped by implicit norms.
n low- and middle-income countries, information and communication technology (ICT) professionals with soft skills have been recognized as potential leaders for economic growth, and professional experience abroad is an effective way to obtain soft skills. However, only a limited number of people have the opportunity to go abroad. In our research, we sought to understand whether soft skills such as those learned from international professional experience can be obtained through a domestic training course provided to Bangladeshi ICT professionals who aspired to work abroad. Through a randomized controlled trial, we found a mix of immediate effects of the training and latent effects that could be observed only after participants started working, especially when they worked abroad. Moreover, we find that training, while having some impact on conscientiousness, seems to be insufficient on its own—actual experience with the new environment seems to play a critical role. This study found evidence that the effectiveness of training strategies depends on the design of the training content, as well as when and where the effects of the intervention are expected to be observed.
The platform economy has been promoted by development institutions as an empowerment pathway for women, based on the assumption that it enables women to participate in the labor market while sustaining their role as caregivers. We investigate this claim critically within the field of ICT4D. Specifically, our goal is to identify whether and how the platform economy offers a pathway for women to expand their capabilities. We conducted a survey (N = 130) and in-depth interviews (N = 72) with women working on digital platforms in Cambodia and Thailand. We use descriptive statistics to summarize empowerment scale measures and thematic analysis within Nussbaum’s capabilities framework to examine the mechanisms linking platform work with women’s capabilities. Our findings show some benefits of working in the platform economy, including an increase in women’s digital skills and self-confidence. However, women’s capabilities are circumscribed by two gendered dimensions of platform economy work that we identify as the ‘intermittent shift’ and the ‘digital ceiling.’ General features of the platform economy – labor supply that outstrips demand, the capital investment required to stand out in a saturated online marketplace, and the lack of career progression – not only hinder its capacity to deliver economic security but also reinforce disadvantages women face in entrepreneurship, thus creating a ‘digital ceiling.’ Additionally, due to gendered demands on their time, many women squeeze platform economy work into tiny fragments of their day. While this flexibility initially appears as an advantage of platform work, in reality, the ‘intermittent shift’ is inadequate for growing a business with meaningful revenue. These mutually reinforcing dynamics of the platform economy cast doubt on its potential to empower women.
