Unpacking the multidimensional impact of international remittances on women’s empowerment in Africa: a quasi-experimental study

Abstract

While research on women’s empowerment in Africa has traditionally focused on education, microfinance, and the role of feminist movements and NGOs, the gendered impacts of international remittances remain underexplored. Existing studies that do engage remittances often rely on macro-level indicators or narrow outcome measures, failing to capture the multidimensional and context-specific nature of empowerment. We address this gap by providing the first micro-level and cross-country evidence on how international remittances influence women’s empowerment across 34 democratic African countries, drawing on Afrobarometer Round 7 data. We construct a multidimensional empowerment index, encompassing gender equality, economic agency, political participation, and health autonomy, using Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA). To correct for selection bias and account for the bounded nature of our outcome variables, we employ entropy balance with fractional logit models (EB-FLM), supplemented by Inverse Probability Weighted Regression Adjustment (IPWRA) for robustness due to it doubly-robust property. Remittances are found to significantly enhance women’s empowerment, with the strongest effects in economic, political, and gender equality domains. These effects are more pronounced among rural women and younger cohorts, while older women experience relatively greater gains in health-related autonomy. Our findings frames the impact of remittances on women empowerment as a context-dependent yet transformative channel for advancing gender equality, with implications for policies aimed at reducing transfer costs and expanding inclusive financial and social infrastructure.