Economic Costs of Intimate Partner Violence in Ethiopia

Authors

  • Duvvury Nata Center for Global Women's Studies, School of Political Science and Sociology, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland Author
  • Haji Jema Haramaya University, Oromia, Ethiopia Author
  • Kifle Dereje Frontieri Consult PLC, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Author
  • Chadha Mrinal School of Business, South East Technological University, Ireland Author
  • Forde Caroline Domestic Violence Advocacy Services, Sligo, Ireland Author

Keywords:

Economic costs of violence, intimate partner violence, lost productivity, income insecurity; poverty, PSM, Ethiopia

Abstract

Reduction of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a recognised public health goal worldwide. However, the negative economic impacts of IPV against women, households and the economy are not well studied, especially in African countries. Based on a primary quantitative survey of 2,095 women, this study addresses this gap by estimating the economics costs of IPV against women in Ethiopia, focusing on out-of pocket (OOP) costs, lost productivity and poverty. According to our study, the lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) is approximately 36%, while the prevalence of IPV within the past year is around 21%. In terms of lost productivity, women missed an average of 19 care workdays due to IPV and husbands (perpetrators) missed 11 care workdays. In addition, working women had a productivity loss of about 17 days due to violence experienced in lifetime. OOP costs were also substantial. In nearly a third of incidents (34%), women reported incurring an average expense of 2,934 Birr, which represents roughly 10% of their annual earnings. Furthermore, using Propensity Score Matching (PSM) analysis, it was found that intimate partner violence (IPV) resulted in a reduction of 372.83 Birr in women's income, 929.90 Birr in household income, and 332.95 Birr in household spending. The consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV) for women and their families entail substantial financial instability and negative effects on social well-being. These results stress the importance of integrating IPV prevention and response measures into national policies and budgets, as well as strongly improving current initiatives to prevent and combat IPV.

 

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Published

27-08-2024

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Articles

How to Cite

Economic Costs of Intimate Partner Violence in Ethiopia. (2024). Ethiopian Journal of Economics, 32(2), 1-36. https://ethiopianjournalofeconomics.org/index.php/EJE/article/view/254

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