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Domestic Violence Laws and Social Norms: Evidence from Pakistan

Author

Listed:
  • Selim Gulesci

    (Department of Economics, Trinity College Dublin)

  • Marinella Leone

    (Department of Economics, University of Pavia)

  • Sameen Zafar

    (Lahore University of Management Sciences)

Abstract

We investigate the effects of Domestic Violence (DV) laws in Pakistan on violence against women. Using both survey data and crime reports, and exploiting the staggered introduction of the laws across different provinces over time, we show that the new laws had little to no effect on DV or femicides in Punjab and Sindh, while they led to an increase in both in Balochistan. The effect in Balochistan is driven by ethnic groups with more conservative attitudes towards DV and divorce. Our findings show that introduction of laws that conflict with prevailing social norms may risk backfiring.

Suggested Citation

  • Selim Gulesci & Marinella Leone & Sameen Zafar, 2024. "Domestic Violence Laws and Social Norms: Evidence from Pakistan," Trinity Economics Papers tep0324, Trinity College Dublin, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:tcd:tcduee:tep0324
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    File URL: https://www.tcd.ie/Economics/TEP/2024/TEP0324.pdf
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Domestic violence laws; social norms; violence against women;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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