Help or harm? The impact of property titling on women's acceptance of intimate partner violence

Abstract

We examine if having legal documentation of one's property rights reduces women's tolerance of intimate partner violence (IPV) in eight countries in Sub‐Saharan Africa. Whilst property titling may have numerous benefits, decreased justification of IPV does not appear to consistently be one of those benefits. Results indicate that out of eight countries examined, only in Ethiopia and Benin did inclusion of women's names on property titles reduce acceptance of IPV. Our findings reinforce the notion that context matters. Whilst in some countries, policies that promote titling may have positive spillover effects, in other contexts, property titling simply is not enough to counter traditional beliefs that IPV is socially acceptable.