The impact of government social spending on women's economic development (with an emphasis on education and health), in Selected Asian Countries

Extensive studies in human development show that achieving stable human development without considering the social and economic development of women in different aspects of life would not be possible. Regarding the situation of women in different societies, the importance of the issue appear to be more important in developing countries. Considering the key role of governments, the impact of government fiscal policy on economic and social development of women is expected to have a positive influence in women’s situation in developing countries. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of fiscal policy on women's social and economic development of the selected developing countries in Asia, including Iran during the years 2013-1980. For this purpose, the ordinary least squares estimation method (OLS) was applied, using Eviews software. The regression equations for all selected Asian developing countries are then estimated. The findings reveal that the social expenditures of the governments can positively impact on both the health and education factors of women in developing countries. The results also indicate that the impact of government social expenditures on health factors is more highlighted in the developing countries, with a lower human development index.