Improving women’s access to higher education in sub-Saharan Africa: the role of foreign direct investment

Hervé Kato-Kale Kapume, Amadou Bobbo, Idrissa Ouedraogo

European Journal of Comparative Economics, 2026, vol. 23, issue 1, 3 - 40

Abstract: This study investigates the direct effects and transmission channels of foreign direct investment (FDI) on women’s access to higher education in a panel of 33 Sub-Saharan African countries over the period 2004 - 2018. Using fixed effects, the Generalised Method of Moments (GMM), Lewbel’s double least squares and quantile regression techniques, the findings reveal that FDI positively influences women’s access to higher education. The quantile regression results show that the effect of FDI is significantly positive at the 25th, 50th, and 75th quantiles. Furthermore, the mediation analysis identifies female employment as a key transmission channel through which FDI enhances women’s participation in higher education. These results suggest that policymakers should foster FDI attractiveness to expand decent employment opportunities for women and promote their access to higher education.

Keywords: Education; Foreign Direct Investment; Higher education; Women; Sub-Saharan Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F16 I21 I23 O55 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:liu:liucej:v:23:y:2026:i:1:p:3-40

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