2022-08-18-ADB-Female_RuralUrban_Migrants_and_Online_Marketplaces_in_Emerging_Economies_Evidence_from_Thailand_and_Viet_Nam_44页_832kb

Female Rural–Urban Migrants and Online Marketplaces in Emerging Economies: Evidence from Thailand and Viet Nam

Key Findings

1. ✓ Female rural–urban migrants participate in online marketplaces but the effect on welfare varies.
   Only complete participation in all online activities (finance, trading, business) significantly increases consumption.

2. ✓ Poorand poor female migrants benefit less from online platforms.
   Reduced welfare gains for the poor in a context of rising inequality.

3. ✓ Educational level and asset value influence market participation.
   Higher education and assets increase participation, while age decreases it.

4. ✓ Online platforms offer benefits but risk exacerbating inequality.
   Unequal benefits raise concerns about the distributional impact of digital transformation.

Policy Implications

• Promote full participation in online market activities through:

  • Supporting rural education to expand opportunities
  • Improving internet access in underserved rural areas

• Establish targeted programs for economically disadvantaged female migrants to ensure inclusive growth.

Methodology

• Used a unique dataset combining rural household and village data with migrant information.
• Applied probit model, instrumental variable approach (heteroscedasticity-based), and unconditional quantile regression to address endogeneity.

(End of Report Summary)