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Domestic violence and women's autonomy in developing countries: theory and evidence

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  • Mukesh Eswaran
  • Nisha Malhotra

Abstract

This paper sets out a simple non‐cooperative model of resource allocation within the household in developing countries that incorporates domestic violence as a vehicle for enhancing bargaining power. We demonstrate that the extent of domestic violence faced by women is not necessarily declining in their reservation utilities, or necessarily increasing in their spouses’. Using the National Family Health Survey data of India for 1998–99, we isolate the effect of domestic violence on female autonomy, taking into account the possible endogeneity of domestic violence through the choice of appropriate instruments. We provide some evidence for the evolutionary theory of domestic violence, which argues that such violence stems from the jealousy caused by paternity uncertainty in our evolutionary past. The findings have strong policy implications suggesting that it will take more than an improvement in women’s employment options to address the problem of spousal violence. Ce mémoire met en place un modèle simple d’allocation de ressources sans collaboration à l’intérieur d’un ménage dans des pays en voie de développement où la violence conjugale est un véhicule utilisé pour accroître le pouvoir de marchandage. On montre que l’importance de la violence conjugale faite aux femmes ne décline pas nécessairement avec leurs exigences minimales, non plus qu’elle s’accroît avec les exigences minimales de leurs époux. A l’aide des résultats de l’Enquête nationale sur la santé des familles de l’Inde pour 1998–99, on précise l’effet de la violence conjugale sur l’autonomie des femmes, en tenant compte de l’endogénéité possible de la violence conjugale à l’aide d’instruments appropriés. On fournit un certain support à la théorie évolutionnaire de la violence conjugale, laquelle suggère que cette violence émerge de la jalousie causée par l’incertitude de la paternité dans notre passéévolutionnaire. Les résultats ont de fortes implications pour la politique publique : ils suggèrent qu’il faudra beaucoup plus qu’une amélioration dans les opportunités d’emploi des femmes pour résoudre le problème de la violence conjugale.

Suggested Citation

  • Mukesh Eswaran & Nisha Malhotra, 2011. "Domestic violence and women's autonomy in developing countries: theory and evidence," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(4), pages 1222-1263, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:canjec:v:44:y:2011:i:4:p:1222-1263
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-5982.2011.01673.x
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • D7 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making

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