How does Economic Empowerment Affect Women’s Risk of Intimate Partner Violence in Low and Middle Income Countries? A Systematic Review of Published Evidence
Summary
Objectives
To identify whether individual and household economic empowerment is associated with lower intimate partner violence in low and middle income country settings.
Methods
Systematic PubMed and internet searches.
Results
Published data from 41 sites were reviewed. Household assets and women’s higher education were generally protective. Evidence about women’s involvement in income generation and experience of past year violence was mixed, with five finding a protective association and six documenting a risk association.
Conclusion
At an individual and household level, economic development and poverty reduction may have protective impacts on IPV. Context specific factors influence whether financial autonomy is protective or associated with increased risk.
Citation
Vyas, Seema and Charlotte Watts. “How Does Economic Empowerment Affect Women’s Risk of Intimate Partner Violence in Low and Middle Income Country Settings? A Systematic Review of Published Evidence.” Journal of International Development 21, no. 5 (2008):577–602.
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