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Trade-offs? The Impact of WTO Accession on Intimate Partner Violence in Cambodia

Author

Listed:
  • Bilge Erten

    (Northeastern University)

  • Pinar Keskin

    (Wellesley College)

Abstract

We study the impact of trade-induced changes in labor market conditions on violence within the household. We exploit the local labor demand shocks generated by Cambodia’s WTO accession to assess how changes in the employment of women relative to men affected the risk of intimate partner violence. We document that men in districts facing larger tariff reductions experienced a significant decline in paid employment, whereas women in harder-hit districts increased their entry into the labor force. These changes in employment patterns triggered backlash effects by increasing intimate partner violence, without changes in marriage, fertility, psychological distress, or household consumption.

Suggested Citation

  • Bilge Erten & Pinar Keskin, 2024. "Trade-offs? The Impact of WTO Accession on Intimate Partner Violence in Cambodia," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 106(2), pages 322-333, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:restat:v:106:y:2024:i:2:p:322-333
    DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_01140
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    Cited by:

    1. Grogan, Louise, 2025. "Employment without empowerment: Low-wage manufacturing and intimate partner violence in Nicaragua, 1998–2012," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    2. repec:ags:aaea22:335460 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Díaz, Juan-José & Saldarriaga, Victor, 2023. "A drop of love? Rainfall shocks and spousal abuse: Evidence from rural Peru," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    4. Mansour Hani & Medina Pamela & Velásquez Andrea, 2023. "When Women’s Work Disappears: Marriage and Fertility Decisions in Peru," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 14(2), pages 385-412, December.
    5. Dai,Mi & Tanaka,Kiyoyasu, 2024. "Origin of Goods and Unequal Consumer Gains from Trade Liberalization," IDE Discussion Papers 939, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    6. Yinjunjie Zhang & Robert Breunig, 2023. "Female breadwinning and domestic abuse: evidence from Australia," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 36(4), pages 2925-2965, October.
    7. Mitra, Devashish & Pham, Hoang & Ural Marchand, Beyza, 2022. "Enhanced Intergenerational Occupational Mobility through Trade Expansion: Evidence from Vietnam," IZA Discussion Papers 15243, IZA Network @ LISER.
    8. Angelucci, Manuela & Heath, Rachel & Noble, Eva, 2023. "Multifaceted programs targeting women in fragile settings: Evidence from the Democratic Republic of Congo," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    9. Cosimo Beverelli & Rohit Ticku, 2023. "Global Livestock Trade and Infectious Diseases," RSCAS Working Papers 2023/09, European University Institute.
    10. Sofia Amaral & Gordon B. Dahl & Victoria Endl-Geyer & Timo Hener & Helmut Rainer, 2023. "Deterrence or Backlash? Arrests and the Dynamics of Domestic Violence," NBER Working Papers 30855, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Ambler, Kate & Jones, Kelly M. & O’Sullivan, Michael, 2026. "Increasing women’s empowerment: Evaluating two interventions in Uganda," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    12. Calabresi, Elisabetta & Rodríguez-Planas, Núria, 2025. "Female Empowerment and Intimate Partner Violence," IZA Discussion Papers 18207, IZA Network @ LISER.
    13. Dhaval Dave & Bilge Erten & David Hummel & Pinar Keskin & Shuo Zhang, 2025. "Fighting abuse with prescription tracking: mandatory drug monitoring and intimate partner violence," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 38(3), pages 1-27, September.
    14. Mavisakalyan, Astghik & Otrachshenko, Vladimir & Popova, Olga, 2024. "Natural Disasters and Acceptance of Intimate Partner Violence: The Global Evidence," IZA Discussion Papers 17172, IZA Network @ LISER.
    15. Elisabetta Calabresi & Núria Rodríguez-Planas, 2025. "Female empowerment and intimate partner violence," Working Papers 2025/14, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    16. Bergvall, Sanna, 2024. "Women’s economic empowerment and intimate partner violence," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 239(C).
    17. García-Hombrados, Jorge & Martínez-Matute, Marta & Villa, Carmen, 2024. "Specialised courts and the reporting of intimate partner violence: Evidence from Spain," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 239(C).
    18. So Yoon Ahn & Yu Kyung Koh, 2022. "Spousal Bargaining Power and Consumption of Married Couples in the US: Evidence from Scanner Data," Working Papers 2022-010, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    19. Guimbeau, Amanda & Ji, Xinde James & Menon, Nidhiya, 2024. "Climate Shocks, Intimate Partner Violence, and the Protective Role of Climate-Resilience Projects," IZA Discussion Papers 17529, IZA Network @ LISER.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • 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

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