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<p>This study examines how Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) contribute to social sustainability in Pakistan, focusing on the mediating roles of Gender Empowerment and Institutional Support. ICT adoption has expanded rapidly, but structural inequalities, low digital literacy, and weak institutional mechanisms continue to limit its social impact. To capture the multidimensional nature of ICT-driven, the study employs a mixed-method analytical framework combining Smart PLS and SPSS, Artificial Neural Networks, and Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis, along with Multi-Group Analysis to explore gender-based variations. Data were collected from 500 respondents across a higher education institute using a structured questionnaire. This analysis reveals that ICT infrastructure, digital literacy, digital financial inclusion, e-governance, gender empowerment, and institutional support all have a significant positive effect on social sustainability. Gender empowerment and institutional support are important mediators, whereas institutional support fails to mediate the relationship between e-governance and social sustainability. According to Multi-Group Analysis findings, the gender gap is mostly in the financial inclusion and empowerment pathways. The Artificial Neural Networks analysis indicates that gender empowerment, ICT infrastructure, and institutional support are the best predictors for social sustainability, which supports the validity of the model. Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis findings suggest that several causal arrangements can independently generate high social sustainability.</p>

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Leveraging ICT for social sustainability in Pakistan through the mediating role of gender empowerment and institutional support

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月3日

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  • Jamil Afzal,
  • Muhammad Adeel Afzal

摘要

This study examines how Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) contribute to social sustainability in Pakistan, focusing on the mediating roles of Gender Empowerment and Institutional Support. ICT adoption has expanded rapidly, but structural inequalities, low digital literacy, and weak institutional mechanisms continue to limit its social impact. To capture the multidimensional nature of ICT-driven, the study employs a mixed-method analytical framework combining Smart PLS and SPSS, Artificial Neural Networks, and Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis, along with Multi-Group Analysis to explore gender-based variations. Data were collected from 500 respondents across a higher education institute using a structured questionnaire. This analysis reveals that ICT infrastructure, digital literacy, digital financial inclusion, e-governance, gender empowerment, and institutional support all have a significant positive effect on social sustainability. Gender empowerment and institutional support are important mediators, whereas institutional support fails to mediate the relationship between e-governance and social sustainability. According to Multi-Group Analysis findings, the gender gap is mostly in the financial inclusion and empowerment pathways. The Artificial Neural Networks analysis indicates that gender empowerment, ICT infrastructure, and institutional support are the best predictors for social sustainability, which supports the validity of the model. Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis findings suggest that several causal arrangements can independently generate high social sustainability.