Economic Costs of Intimate Partner Violence in Ethiopia
Keywords:
Economic costs of violence, intimate partner violence, lost productivity, income insecurity; poverty, PSM, EthiopiaAbstract
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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