Social capital, gender-based resilience to shocks and well-being among urban and rural households in Togo

Summary:  View help for Summary This study investigates the impact of social capital on household resilience and well-being in Togo in the face of unpredictable shocks. To this end, this study draws on primary data from an Integrated Regional Survey on Employment and the Informal Economy conducted in 2017 by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic and Demographic Studies in Togo. The analysis methods used included propensity score models, endogenous switching regressions, and smoothed instrumental variables quantile regressions. The results reveal that access to social capital has a positive and significant impact on household well-being by increasing resilience to shocks. This effect varies according to sex and place of residence. Social capital significantly enhances the resilience of men in rural areas but not in women. Conversely, it strengthens the well-being of women in urban settings and of men in rural areas. The findings underscore the need for authorities to adopt an integrated policy approach that merges income support, public services, civic engagement incentives, and community networks.