Navigating the complex interplay of intimate partner violence, employment, and wages:  A case study in Pakistan

This thesis provides a critical and systematic examination of the economic dimensions of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Pakistan. Grounded in a conceptual framework informed by the nested ecological model, the study investigates the socioeconomic factors associated with IPV victimization (IPV-V) and perpetration (IPV-P) and assesses their impact on labour market outcomes for married individuals. The analysis employs a rigorous empirical strategy, including Instrumental Variable techniques to address endogeneity and advanced decomposition methods (Oaxaca-Blinder and CDECO) to estimate the microeconomic costs of IPV. The findings reveal a complex and nuanced relationship between IPV and women's economic lives. For women who experience IPV, the analysis uncovers a paradoxical role of employment: while it may function as a means of empowerment, it can concurrently exacerbate the risk and intensity of IPV victimisation. Contrary to conventional assumptions, IPV-V emerges as a coercive “push factor” that increases women’s likelihood of employment but also imposes significant penalties on their net earnings and wages – ranging from 26 to 31 per cent at the mean – particularly at the lower end of the wage distribution. For men, the thesis provides novel evidence that IPV-P is associated with a reduced likelihood of stable, full-time wage employment. It imposes substantial penalties on perpetrators’ earnings and wages – between 17 and 24 per cent at the mean – challenging the notion that IPV is a purely private matter. These penalties reflect the hidden labour market costs of IPV and the behavioural dysfunctions that undermine men’s economic inclusion. By quantifying the microeconomic costs and disentangling the complex interplay of violence and economic agency for both victims and perpetrators, this thesis makes a significant contribution to the literature. It offers compelling evidence that addressing IPV requires integrated policy solutions that extend beyond promoting employment to tackle structural inequalities and transform entrenched gender norms

Publisher

University of Galway

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CC BY-NC-ND

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University of Galway Theses (PhD Theses)