Index of Economic Freedom, Religion and Female Literacy in Sub-Saharan Africa

Because female literacy contributes to the economic condition in sub-Saharan Africa, it is important to examine the role of index of economic freedom and religion on female literacy. By index of economic freedom, we mean an index that measures the extent to which individuals are free to engage in voluntary transactions. Using cross-sectional data of 33 sub-Saharan African countries, this paper examines: (a) the impact of index of economic freedom on female literacy, and (b) the influence of religion on female literacy. Using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis, the study found that the index of economic freedom was positively related to female literacy at a 10 percent significant level. Religion was found to be negatively related to female literacy at a 1 percent level of significance.