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  5. Gender Norms, Discrimination, and Intimate Partner Violence
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Gender Norms, Discrimination, and Intimate Partner Violence

Paper Session

Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021 3:45 PM - 5:45 PM (EST)

Hosted By: International Association for Feminist Economics
  • Chair: Johannes Haushofer, Princeton University

Evolution of Cultural Beliefs and Gender of Children in West Africa

Willa Friedman
,
University of Houston
Boblawende Jean Kabore
,
University of Houston

Abstract

How do cultural beliefs change? Rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) are high in many parts of the world, and support for IPV is especially strong among women. We test how the gender of children changes parents' beliefs about IPV, using all available Demographic and Health Surveys data from West Africa. This data includes detailed birth records for each respondent, questions about support for IPV, measures of intra-household bargaining power, and - for a subset of observations - reports of experienced violence. Intuitively, parents may support policies and norms that benefit their children. We test this for men and women.

Conflict Exposure in Childhood and Adolescence and Acceptance of Domestic Violence in Adulthood

Giulia La Mattina
,
University of South Florida
Olga N. Shemyakina
,
Georgia Institute of Technology

Abstract

Drawing on survey data from twenty-three countries in Sub-Saharan Africa combined with records of all conflict events in the region since 1946, we examine whether being exposed to conflict in childhood and adolescence affects one’s acceptance of violent behavior later in life. Exploiting variation in exposure to conflict across villages and cohorts of birth, we show that early conflict exposure affects tolerance for domestic violence in adulthood. The sign of the effect varies by gender and age at exposure: Exposure to conflict at ages 0 to 9 increases women’s acceptance of domestic violence, while exposure to conflict at ages 10 to 19 reduces men’s tolerance for wife-beating. The effects are driven by exposure to high intensity conflicts (wars). When looking at age at first exposure, we confirm that being exposed to a war for the first time in early childhood increases women’s acceptance of domestic violence and that being first exposed to a war between ages 11 and 15 reduces men’s tolerance for wife-beating.

Trade-offs? The Impact of WTO Accession on Intimate Partner Violence in Cambodia

Bilge Erten
,
Northeastern University
Pinar Keskin
,
Wellesley College

Abstract

We study the impact of trade-induced changes in labor market conditions on violence within the
household. We exploit the local labor demand shocks generated by Cambodia's WTO accession to test
how shifts in the relative employment of women compared to men affected the risk of intimate partner
violence. We document that men in districts facing larger tariff reductions experienced a significant decline in employment. These trade-induced job losses generated an added worker effect, as women entered the labor force. The increase in women's employment triggered backlash effects by increasing intimate partner violence, without changes in marriage, fertility, or psychological wellbeing.

Gender Differences in Political Career Progression: Evidence from United States Elections

Hani Mansour
,
University of Colorado-Denver
Ryan Brown
,
University of Colorado-Denver
Stephen O'Connell
,
Emory University
James Reeves
,
University of Michigan

Abstract

We establish the existence of gender differences in career progression to leadership positions among U.S. politicians and study their underlying causes. Using a close elections strategy, we find that an additional state legislature term increases the probability of ever running for Congress by twice as much for men as it does for women and the effect on winning a Congressional race is five times larger for men than women. These gaps emerge early in legislators' careers, widen over time, and are seen alongside a higher propensity of female politicians to continue running for the state legislature. The gap cannot be attributed to differences in experience, career-family tradeoffs, election or constituency characteristics, nor preferences for part-time public service careers.
Discussant(s)
Hani Mansour
,
University of Colorado-Denver
Willa Friedman
,
University of Houston
Kasey Buckles
,
University of Notre Dame
Jeanne Lafortune
,
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
JEL Classifications
  • B0 - General
  • J0 - General