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

Amna Noor Asim; Zahid Asghar; Haroon Sarwar Awan

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12

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

Amna Noor Asim^*

, Zahid Asghar

, Haroon Sarwar Awan

Published in American Journal of Networks and Communications (Volume 14, Issue 1)

Received: 17 March 2025 Accepted: 4 May 2025 Published: 12 June 2025

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Abstract

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.

Published in	American Journal of Networks and Communications (Volume 14, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12
Page(s)	10-22
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Women’s Empowerment, Communication, Technology, Sustainable Development

References

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APA Style

Asim, A. N., Asghar, Z., Awan, H. S. (2025). The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Women's Decision-Making on Reproductive Health and Household Expenditures. American Journal of Networks and Communications, 14(1), 10-22. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12

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ACS Style

Asim, A. N.; Asghar, Z.; Awan, H. S. The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Women's Decision-Making on Reproductive Health and Household Expenditures. Am. J. Netw. Commun. 2025, 14(1), 10-22. doi: 10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12

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AMA Style

Asim AN, Asghar Z, Awan HS. The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Women's Decision-Making on Reproductive Health and Household Expenditures. Am J Netw Commun. 2025;14(1):10-22. doi: 10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12,
  author = {Amna Noor Asim and Zahid Asghar and Haroon Sarwar Awan},
  title = {The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Women's Decision-Making on Reproductive Health and Household Expenditures
},
  journal = {American Journal of Networks and Communications},
  volume = {14},
  number = {1},
  pages = {10-22},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajnc.20251401.12},
  abstract = {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.
},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Women's Decision-Making on Reproductive Health and Household Expenditures

AU  - Amna Noor Asim
AU  - Zahid Asghar
AU  - Haroon Sarwar Awan
Y1  - 2025/06/12
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12
T2  - American Journal of Networks and Communications
JF  - American Journal of Networks and Communications
JO  - American Journal of Networks and Communications
SP  - 10
EP  - 22
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2326-8964
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12
AB  - 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.

VL  - 14
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Author Information

Amna Noor Asim

Research & Development, National Institute of Population Studies, Islamabad, Pakistan

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9148-0641
Zahid Asghar

School of Economics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3188-0074
Haroon Sarwar Awan

Economic Wing, Ministry of Food and Security, Islamabad, Pakistan

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5783-3714

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APA Style

Asim, A. N., Asghar, Z., Awan, H. S. (2025). The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Women's Decision-Making on Reproductive Health and Household Expenditures. American Journal of Networks and Communications, 14(1), 10-22. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12

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ACS Style

Asim, A. N.; Asghar, Z.; Awan, H. S. The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Women's Decision-Making on Reproductive Health and Household Expenditures. Am. J. Netw. Commun. 2025, 14(1), 10-22. doi: 10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12

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AMA Style

Asim AN, Asghar Z, Awan HS. The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Women's Decision-Making on Reproductive Health and Household Expenditures. Am J Netw Commun. 2025;14(1):10-22. doi: 10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12,
  author = {Amna Noor Asim and Zahid Asghar and Haroon Sarwar Awan},
  title = {The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Women's Decision-Making on Reproductive Health and Household Expenditures
},
  journal = {American Journal of Networks and Communications},
  volume = {14},
  number = {1},
  pages = {10-22},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajnc.20251401.12},
  abstract = {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.
},
 year = {2025}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Women's Decision-Making on Reproductive Health and Household Expenditures

AU  - Amna Noor Asim
AU  - Zahid Asghar
AU  - Haroon Sarwar Awan
Y1  - 2025/06/12
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12
T2  - American Journal of Networks and Communications
JF  - American Journal of Networks and Communications
JO  - American Journal of Networks and Communications
SP  - 10
EP  - 22
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2326-8964
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajnc.20251401.12
AB  - 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.

VL  - 14
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download