Financial access and women’s political representation in Sub-Saharan Africa: the role of ethnic fragmentation

Purpose This article aims to examine the effects of financial access and ethnic fragmentation on women’s political representation. It also highlights the interactive effect of financial access and ethnic fragmentation on women’s political representation, a consideration that has been addressed only theoretically in previous research. Design/methodology/approach Utilizing the robust long-term estimators with augmented mean group (AMG) developed by Eberhardt et Teal (2010) provides robust estimators while addressing potential issues of cross-sectional dependence and panel heterogeneity. The sample consists of 36 Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries over the period 1990–2022. Findings We find that improved financial access reduces disparities in women’s political representation. However, this beneficial impact is impeded by ethnic fragmentation, which exacerbates income disparities and undermines the efficacy of financial inclusion. Robustness tests validate these findings – indicating that to effectively enhance women’s political representation, governments must promote more inclusive financial initiatives for women and strengthen ethnic inclusion in financial policies. Research limitations/implications Further studies could examine another form of structured fragmentation, such as discrimination, to assess the nature of its effects on women’s political representation. Practical implications The robustness tests confirm these findings, suggesting that policymakers should prioritize the development of inclusive financial initiatives tailored for women and integrate ethnic diversity considerations into financial policies to foster greater female political representation. Social implications The study highlights a critical socio-economic challenge: while enhanced financial access can mitigate gender disparities in political representation, its effectiveness is hindered by ethnic fragmentation. This underscores the necessity for socially inclusive policies that not only expand financial inclusion for women but also strengthen ethnic cohesion, thereby fostering equitable and sustainable political participation across diverse communities. Originality/value This article provides novel insights by empirically investigating how financial access and ethnic fragmentation impact women’s political representation, addressing a gap in existing theoretical research. The study reveals that while improved financial access can reduce gender disparities in political representation, its effectiveness is significantly undermined by ethnic fragmentation. This interaction effect highlights the necessity for tailored policies that not only enhance financial inclusion for women but also address ethnic disparities to achieve meaningful improvements in political representation.