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Education is a fundamental driver of national development, contributing to skill enhancement, human capability building, the promotion of human rights, reduction of inequalities, crime mitigation, and economic growth. Recognizing its impact, the United Nations introduced two key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015: SDG 1, targeting poverty eradication at all levels, and SDG 4, promoting inclusive and equitable quality education. However, despite nine years of concerted global efforts, poverty remains pervasive in many developing countries, including India. This study investigates the influence of education on poverty reduction in India, analyzing time-series data from 1994 to 2023 obtained from secondary sources, including World Bank databases, academic journals, and reputable online sources. The Johansen cointegration test, Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), and Wald tests are applied to assess education's long-term and short-term impacts on poverty alleviation. Findings indicate that education exerts a significant long-term effect on poverty reduction in India, underscoring its essential role in sustainable development.

Keywords: Poverty; Education; Sustainable Development; VECM
JEL Codes: C32, I25, I32, Q01

This paper makes a contribution to the literature on practical applications of the hedonic regression model which relates the prices of goods or services to their specific characteristics or attributes. In this paper, we examine the determinants of salaries of prostitutes who work in the escort service sector in Germany. Two categories of variables are considered. The first category refers to physical attributes that can be related to sexual attractiveness. The second group of variables capture educational and communicational skills. It is the purpose of this article to disentangle the contribution of each of the attributes to the salary of the escort. Our results reveal that approximately 60 percent of the salary is determined by variables of the first category, whereas 40 percent of the price is determined by variables of the second category. This result shows, that escorts are significantly different from ordinary prostitutes. The hedonic regression approach can help to determine realistic market prices in this sector.

Keywords: Hedonic Regression, Consumer Theory, Prostitution, Shadow Economy

This paper studies the link between information and communication technology (ICT) diffusion, financial development and economic growth in the panel of 3 Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, namely, Oman, Qatar and United Arab Emirates from 2008 to 2022. Using the system GMM in a panel data analysis, we showed evidence of a positive association between financial development and economic growth. We also showed that ICT acted as a complement in the finance-growth relationship. The study recommends harmonizing public and private sector investments for a synergistic impact on ICT infrastructure and investing adequately in the financial system to promote economic growth in GCC countries. Economic policies would be approved to provide incentives and subsidies to guarantee affordable ICT services to disadvantaged peoples. In addition, training programs focused on improving digital literacy to enable all population groups to use digital platforms for financial services are recommended.

Keywords: Financial development, ICT diffusion, Economic growth, Panel data

Integration into regional value chains (RVCs) has become a major issue for West African countries where income disparities and gender inequalities persist. This paper analyses the effect of positioning in RVCs on income and gender inequalities using panel data from West African countries from 2000 to 2021 and the Driscoll and Kraay estimator. The results show that the impact of CVRs on inequality depends on the level of local product processing. Countries limited to low value-added segments experience greater income concentration, while those that have developed a more integrated industry benefit from a better redistribution of gains. In terms of gender, women are mainly employed in precarious, low-paid jobs, with limited access to finance and productive infrastructure. The article recommends capacity-building for SMEs and introducing inclusive policies favoring women's access to productive resources and economic opportunities. Finally, a more balanced distribution of benefits between regions is essential to ensure inclusive and sustainable growth.

Keywords: Value chains, Inequalities, Gender, West Africa
JEL Classifications: F15, I24, O19, O55