The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Women's Decision-Making on Reproductive Health and Household Expenditures

The study investigates whether the affordability and penetration of information and communication technology among women contribute to their empowerment in Pakistan, analyzing this relationship at both provincial and residential levels. It further examines how information and communication technology influences women’s empowerment while facilitating progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The study empirically examines the impact of information and communication technology on women’s decision-making power within households across Pakistan’s provinces, utilizing data from the Household Integrated Economic Survey 2018-19. The analysis employs a binary logit model and the classification and regression tree techniques. The findings reveal a significant and positive impact of information and communication technology on women’s decision-making power, identifying it as the most important predictor for the women’s decision regarding expenditures at household level and about her reproductive health. Furthermore, the classification and regression tree technique indicates that Punjab leads other provinces, while Balochistan furthest behind in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2030. While from other socioeconomic and demographic variables, the odds of number of son, women’s age, education level, residence and region are more likely and significantly associate with the women’s decision-making power. The findings of the study support the policies in favor of ICT penetration and improving women’s access to education and employment opportunities to enhance women’s autonomy in Pakistan.