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Income Changes and Intimate Partner Violence: Evidence from Unconditional Cash Transfers in Kenya

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  • Johannes Haushofer
  • Charlotte Ringdal
  • Jeremy P. Shapiro
  • Xiao Yu Wang

Abstract

In a previous study, we found an improvement in female empowerment after randomized unconditional cash transfers in Kenya (Haushofer and Shapiro 2016). Here we report detailed impacts of these transfers on physical and sexual intimate partner violence, and construct a theory to explain them. Transfers to women averaging USD 709 reduced physical and sexual violence (-0:26, -0:22 standard deviations). Transfers to men reduced physical violence (-0:18 SD). We find spillovers: physical violence towards non-recipient women in treatment villages decreased (-0:16 SD). We show theoretically that transfers to both men and women are needed to understand why violence occurs. Our theory suggests that husbands use physical violence to extract resources, but dislike it, while sexual violence is not used to extract resources, but is pleasurable.

Suggested Citation

  • Johannes Haushofer & Charlotte Ringdal & Jeremy P. Shapiro & Xiao Yu Wang, 2019. "Income Changes and Intimate Partner Violence: Evidence from Unconditional Cash Transfers in Kenya," NBER Working Papers 25627, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:25627
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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