Gender disparity effect among financially included (and excluded) women in Middle East and North Africa

Gender in financial inclusion is an evolving field of research. This study uses the World Bank’s Global Findex database, along with probit models, to investigate the presence of gender inequality on financial inclusion and its causes. In the Middle East and North Africa samples, we present new evidence of lower women’s financial inclusion. Being a man, older, well-educated and with a high-income increases the likelihood of being financially included. The findings of this study support policymaker in defining policies to promote financial inclusion in the Middle East and North Africa. Increasing the level of financial inclusion enhances the level of official savings in countries, which in turn promotes development.

Impacts of COVID-19 on patterns of meat and seafood consumption: evidence from Australia

PurposeIn 2020, mechanisms to limit the chain of transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Australia led to widespread restrictions on population mobility and business operations. Such conditions provide a natural experiment that may help to provide insights into consumer behaviour and future trends in food consumption. The overall objective of this study is to explore the possible impacts of COVID-19 on meat consumption patterns in Australia, both in the short and medium term, and to explore whether there have been impacts on the underlying drivers for consumption.Design/methodology/approachThe research reported in this paper analyses the impacts of COVID-19 on meat and seafood consumption in Australia, drawing on a national random survey of 1,200 participants in June 2020. Survey data on past and current consumption rates are compared to respondent estimates of their future consumption behaviour, and ordered probit models are used to identify whether consumption changes can be explained by socio-demographic, attitudinal or economic factors.FindingsTwo potential scenarios were evaluated to explore future consumption trends. The first “acceleration” scenario is that the restrictions would encourage people to speed up existing declines in meat consumption, perhaps taking more account of credence factors such as health, animal welfare and environmental issues. The second “transformation” scenario is that people will change consumption patterns, perhaps moving more towards home-cooked meals and increased consumption. Slightly stronger support was found for the transformation scenario, indicating that consumption rates for most meats and seafood will be stable or increase over the next five years.Originality/valueThis study capitalises on changed social and economic settings generated by COVID-19 to test the effects on consumption of meat (chicken, beef, pork, lamb) and seafood at a national level. Ordered probit models are applied to evaluate participant data on their future intentions for meat consumption to test two scenarios, finding stronger support for the “transformative” scenario than the “accelerate” scenario.

NEETs and the Process of Transition From School to the Labor Market: A Comparative Analysis of Italy, Romania, and Bulgaria

The aim of this article is to identify the main mechanisms leading to the NEET status in Italy, Romania, and Bulgaria. It does so by highlighting the differences amongst them and verifying how place of residence effectively affects the connected propensity to this status after having controlled for many personal characteristics through a series of probit models. Furthermore, multiple correspondence analyses produce profound understanding of the NEET phenomenon and associated determinants. The results highlight the need to plan support actions tailored to specific NEET characteristics. Whilst the degree of urbanization impacts upon the NEET status throughout Romania and Bulgaria, Italy shows a strong divide between the North and the South. However, in all three countries there is a need to improve the education system and stimulate higher levels of education as the main measure of NEET prevention.

Entrepreneurship Practices and Poverty among farmer entrepreneurs in Jos, Nigeria

The study seeks to examine the effect of Entrepreneurship practices on poverty among farmers in Jos, Nigeria. The study covered small and medium scale farmer entrepreneurs within Jos North, Jos South and Jos East. A sample size of 518 was obtained from the population of 834 at 5% error tolerance and 95% level of confidence, using Simple Random Sampling. 505(97.5%) of the questionnaire distributed were returned while 13(2.5%) of the questionnaire distributed were not returned. self-structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The study conducted a pre-test on the questionnaire to ensure the validity of the instrument. Data collected were presented in frequency tables. To measure the effect of entrepreneurship practices on poverty, Probit and order probit models were specified and analysis was based on FGT and MPI measures of poverty. The study revealed that a very high level of entrepreneurship practices among farmers will reduce poverty among farmers. The study recommends among other things that entrepreneurship practice intensity among the farmers be increase so as to help in improving their standard of living by reducing poverty through increased income resulting from high entrepreneurship activities. Keywords: Entrepreneurship Practice, Poverty and Entrepreneurship Index