Unraveling the Socioeconomic Determinants of Violence against Women: Empirical Insights from the Individual to the Societal Level

The dissertation delves into the intricate issue of violence against women, a pervasive problem with profound social, health, and human rights implications affecting billions worldwide. With a specific focus on intimate partner and sexual violence, the study empirically explores their socioeconomic determinants in low- and middle-income countries. Employing a combination of observational data and a set of econometric techniques, the research highlights the relevance and interconnectedness of factors across individual, relationship, community, and societal levels in affecting their prevalence. Specifically, the first chapter emphasizes the impact of an individual factor, female education, in reducing intimate partner violence in Uganda, particularly through the mechanism of assortative mating. This underscores the necessity for policies that operate at the relationship level and target men to effectively mitigate such violence. The second chapter delves into the dynamic consequences of a policy altering relationship dynamics – the unilateral divorce legalization in Mexico. It reveals an increase in physical violence against married women in the medium term, attributed to both instrumental use of violence and male backlash, thereby highlighting the importance of policies that address attitudes towards divorce and female empowerment. The third chapter uncovers a positive relationship between male unemployment and sexual violence at the community level in Mexico, primarily driven by backlash against perceived threats to traditional masculine identity. This underscores the imperative for broader cultural changes to promote a gender-equal society. The dissertation contributes to the literature through innovative data and methodologies, in-depth analyses of underlying mechanisms, and exploration of original issues. Overall, it highlights the significance of rigorous empirical analyses and interdisciplinary perspectives, encompassing all mentioned four levels, to provide effective, context-specific guidance to policymakers in comprehending and addressing violence against women.