Browsing by Author "Shiwayu, Nikanor"

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    Determinants of financial inclusion in Namibia: An analysis of the gender
    (University of Namibia, 2020) Shiwayu, Nikanor; Mukong, Alfred
    There is a consensus between many development economists that a well-developed and inclusive financial system promotes inclusive growth and better livelihoods. Yet the size of the financially excluded adults in the world is still enormous. Generally, women are disproportionately excluded from formal financial systems and constitute more than half of the world 's unbanked population. The gender gap is systematic worldwide and persistent across all income groups in developing countries. However, it is interesting to observe that more eligible men are financially excluded than eligible womeri in Namibia. Motivated by this observation, in addition to limited evidence on gender gap in financial inclusion, this paper examines the determinants of financial inclusion in Namibia, with particular focus on what explains the observed gender gap. ' We employ the probit model to identify the determinants of financial inclusion and the Fairlie decomposition to examine the contribution of these factors to the gender gap in financial inclusion. The results suggest that women are more financially included, however, the observed gap is insignificant. We find that individual characteristics are important determinants of financial inclusion in Namibia. Financial literacy, educational attainment and proximity to financial institutions contribute positively to the observed gender gap. Thus, any policy action geared towards improving the level of financial inclusion of the disadvantage women should focus on enhancing their level of education, financial 'knowledge and access (proximity) to financial institution. However, the contribution of other individual and household characteristics cannot be completely ignored