Troubling Trade-offs Between Women’s Work and Intimate Partner Violence: Evidence From 19 Developing Countries

Zafar, Sameen; Zia, Maryam; Amir-ud-Din, Rafi

doi:10.1177/08862605211021961

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…The absence of these opportunities can facilitate male control over women and a lack of recourse in response to male aggression, as evidenced by the observation that intimate partner violence and other forms of abuse in industrialized societies often involve attempts to isolate victims from their networks, such as those developed at work [65–68]. Employment, and the networks developed therein, can be protective against intimate partner violence ([69], but see [70]). In support of this idea, gendered violence is virtually unknown among the Batek [33], whereas intimate partner violence is not uncommon among Tsimane [71].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female cooperative labour networks in hunter–gatherers and horticulturalists

Kraft

Cummings

Venkataraman

et al. 2022

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Cooperation in food acquisition is a hallmark of the human species. Given that costs and benefits of cooperation vary among production regimes and work activities, the transition from hunting-and-gathering to agriculture is likely to have reshaped the structure of cooperative subsistence networks. Hunter–gatherers often forage in groups and are generally more interdependent and experience higher short-term food acquisition risk than horticulturalists, suggesting that cooperative labour should be more widespread and frequent for hunter–gatherers. Here we compare female cooperative labour networks of Batek hunter–gatherers of Peninsular Malaysia and Tsimane forager–horticulturalists of Bolivia. We find that Batek foraging results in high daily variation in labour partnerships, facilitating frequent cooperation in diffuse networks comprised of kin and non-kin. By contrast, Tsimane horticulture involves more restricted giving and receiving of labour, confined mostly to spouses and primary or distant kin. Tsimane women also interact with few individuals in the context of hunting/fishing activities and forage mainly with spouses and primary kin. These differences give rise to camp- or village-level networks that are more modular (have more substructure when partitioned) among Tsimane horticulturalists. Our findings suggest that subsistence activities shape the formation and extent of female social networks, particularly with respect to connections with other women and non-kin. We discuss the implications of restricted female labour networks in the context of gender relations, power dynamics and the adoption of farming in humans. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Cooperation among women: evolutionary and cross-cultural perspectives’.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female cooperative labour networks in hunter–gatherers and horticulturalists

Kraft

Cummings

Venkataraman

et al. 2022

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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“…These results coincide with those found in other studies whereby women’s economic power was positively related to their risk of suffering IPV ( Casique, 2003 ; Flake, 2005 ; Castro et al, 2008 ; Ludermir et al, 2008 ; Nguyen et al, 2008 ; Rahman et al, 2011 ). For example, a recent study found that across 19 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, women who were working were significantly more likely to be subjected to IPV than those who were not ( Zafar et al, 2021 ). A possible explanation might be that women who are working could be seen to be violating a prescribed traditional gender norm where women’s traditional role may be perceived to be as a homemaker.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defining Power and Agency in Gender Relations in El Salvador: Consequences for Intimate Partner Violence and Women’s Mental Health

et al. 2022

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Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects thousands of women around the world and is prevalent in the Global South. Unequal social structures perpetuate hierarchies and maintain women’s vulnerability to violence. Difficulties women face in accessing education, economic resources, and employment diminish their power in intimate relationships, increasing the likelihood of IPV. These factors can also have a significant effect on women’s mental health. However, some studies show that economic empowerment does not necessarily translate into greater agency for women if they cannot use the resources they earn to pursue whatever goals or values they regard as important in life. Agency is women’s ability to identify their life goals and act upon them through critical evaluation (intrinsic agency) and autonomous decision-making (instrumental agency). In this article, we aim to analyze the relationship between women’s power (educational and economic) and agency and their influence on intimate partner violence and on women’s mental health in the context of El Salvador. Currently, El Salvador has one of the highest percentages of femicide worldwide. We used data from the first national survey on violence against women in El Salvador to determine empowerment indicators and investigated their influence on intimate partner violence and women’s mental health. Results from a representative sample of 1,274 women aged between 15 and 64 years old and, using a structural equation modeling revealed that education was a protective factor against IPV, but economic power appeared to put women at greater risk of IPV. Education was positively related to both intrinsic and instrumental agency, but only instrumental agency was negatively associated with the likelihood of being a victim of IPV. Finally, both intrinsic and instrumental agencies were positively related to women’s mental health. We discuss the importance of identifying specific factors related to women’s power and agency to prevent IPV and mental health problems and to promote more gender equity in the Global South.

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“…This finding is not consistent with studies reporting higher IPV levels if women work, particularly if they earn more than their husbands (Abramsky et al, 2019; Gage & Thomas, 2017). It may reflect the diversity in economic returns and working conditions associated with women’s employment (Zafar et al, 2021), producing differential effects across regions (Amegbor & Pascoe, 2021)—observed in the GWR model. More likely, it is because of the multicollinearity noted earlier (the correlation between FWPR and SCSTP is high).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Geography of Victimization: A Spatial Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence in India

Kothari

Husain

Dutta

2022

J Interpers Violence

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Most studies on intimate partner violence (IPV) and its drivers have focused on individual-and household-level characteristics of the victim. Recent studies have acknowledged that it is a community-level phenomenon, using spatial analytical methods to analyze community-level determinants of IPV and its geographic dimensions. Such studies provide mixed evidence on the impact of different factors and need to be supplemented by similar studies—particularly in South Asian countries where IPV is common. The present study examines district-level variations in the incidence of various forms of IPV and identifies its determinants in India, a fast-growing South Asian country with poor gender indicators. The study combines data from the National Family Health Survey, District Level Household Survey, and the decadal Census. It applies spatial analytical methods such as the Global Moran’s I, Getis-ord statistic, and Multivariate Local Geary to determine the nature of the spatial distribution of different categories of IPV. Spatial regression models are used to identify the community-level predictors of each category of IPV. The study finds non-random overlapping spatial clusters in the eastern part of India. The study also finds that neighborhoods characterized by low empowerment levels, and with a high child sex ratio, road connectivity, and proportion of socially marginalized groups are more likely to exhibit high levels of all types of IPV—although the impact of these determinants varies across districts. Furthermore, spill-overs in the incidence of IPV between neighboring districts are also observed. The study concludes by recommending the use of localized policies, rather than broad national or state policies, in reducing IPV.

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Troubling Trade-offs Between Women’s Work and Intimate Partner Violence: Evidence From 19 Developing Countries

Cited by 9 publications

References 68 publications

Female cooperative labour networks in hunter–gatherers and horticulturalists

Female cooperative labour networks in hunter–gatherers and horticulturalists

Defining Power and Agency in Gender Relations in El Salvador: Consequences for Intimate Partner Violence and Women’s Mental Health

Understanding the Geography of Victimization: A Spatial Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence in India

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