A dissimilarity index of multidimensional inequality of opportunity

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the inequality of opportunity among Indonesian school-age children from 2002 to 2012. It focuses on the possibilities of accessing basic needs, such as primary education, secondary education, electricity and clean water. Design/methodology/approach This paper used three interrelated indicators, namely, coverage access rate, dissimilarity index and human opportunity index. It also applied Shapley decomposition to measure the contributions of each determinant of inequality opportunities. These data were obtained from the National Household Survey conducted in 2002-2012. Findings This study revealed that the level of access to all basic needs, except clean water, was likely to increase with even distribution during the observation period. Moreover, the decomposition results showed that the education of household heads, household income and region (rural-urban) were the main contributors to the total inequality of opportunity. Originality/value This study on the inequality of opportunity is interesting, for it is tightly related to inequality of outcome, i.e. income, expenditure and wealth. It is arguable that the inequality of outcome, nowadays, is a reflection of the past inequality in basic opportunities. Thus, the exploration of potential inequality drivers begins to be increasingly important, as it can assist the policymakers in drawing effective policies to repress the increasing trend of future inequality.

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Inequality of Opportunity for Education in Sudan: Results from Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey, 2014

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal ◽

10.14738/assrj.71.7668 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 341-357

Author(s):

Huda Ahmed

Keyword(s):

Poverty Reduction ◽

School Attendance ◽

Household Wealth ◽

Inequality Of Opportunity ◽

Residential Areas ◽

Dissimilarity Index ◽

Cluster Survey ◽

Multiple Indicators ◽

Head Of Household ◽

Comprehensive Plans

Inequality of opportunity (IoP) in education is widely addressed in the literature, with few, if any, in Sudan. This paper aims to measure IoP for educational attainment and school attendance in Sudan, using data collected by Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (2014). Circumstance variables used were gender, household wealth, residential areas, head of household education, and region of residence. The study used ordered logistic and dissimilarity index to assess the ex-ante IoP and used the Human Opportunity Index for school attendance. The findings show that circumstance variables were responsible for more than half of the inequality. Household wealth accounted for the largest share, followed by the household head's education level, then residential areas. The total coverage of school attendance was 51.3%, and about 14% of the chances were distributed unequally. The study recommended effective policies based on spatial redistribution of educational resources like teachers, books, schools, and to implement more comprehensive plans that integrate poverty reduction strategies.

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Inequality of Opportunity in The Labor Market: Evidence from Sudan

Journal of Social Science Studies ◽

10.5296/jsss.v7i2.16833 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 38

Author(s):

Huda Mohamed Mukhtar Ahmed ◽

Eiman Adil Mohamed Osman ◽

Hatim Ameer Mahran

Keyword(s):

Labor Market ◽

Decomposition Methods ◽

Inequality Of Opportunity ◽

Dissimilarity Index ◽

Average Group ◽

Average Probability ◽

The Difference ◽

Total Difference ◽

Gender Based ◽

Using Data

This paper examines the inequality of opportunity in the labor market in Sudan, using data of the Poverty Survey, 2014. A logit model is used with the dependent variable taking 1 if the person is employed and 0 otherwise. A set of circumstance variables are used as regressors, and ex-ante inequality of opportunity is calculated using the dissimilarity index and Shapley decomposition. Gender was associated with the largest share of inequality of opportunity, estimated at 73.41 percent. Gender-based inequality of opportunity in employment was assessed using Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition methods. The findings reveal that the average probability of accessing employment is 0.87 for men and 0.59 for women, yielding a gap of 0.274. The difference between the average group characteristics of males and females was reflected in the coefficient of endowment (0.008), representing 2.9 percent of the total difference. The bulk of the gap is attributed to differences in circumstances, as indicated by the difference of 0.249 in the coefficients, representing 90.8 percent of the total difference. This difference is interpreted as discrimination. The results call for substantial reforms, not only in the labor market but, more importantly, with regard to circumstance variables over which the individuals have no control.

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