CASH TRANSFER, WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT AND INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE IN SOUTHERN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Abstract

This study looks at whether cash transfers and women’s empowerment reduce violence by husbands in southern Punjab, Pakistan. Some theories say that when women get money and more say at home, they become safer. Others say that husbands may become more violent because they feel they are losing control. We surveyed 768 married women in the four districts of Multan Division. Half received the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and half were neighbours of similar income who did not. We measured women’s empowerment with economic, social, familial, political and overall scores. Because empowerment and violence can affect each other, we used house ownership and land ownership as instruments and estimated control-function probit models. Women receiving BISP were 5.8 percentage points less likely to report physical violence, 5.2 points less likely to report psychological violence and 4.1 points less likely to report sexual violence. Economic empowerment gave the most protection against physical violence, and social empowerment gave the most protection against psychological and sexual violence. BISP protected empowered women more, so we found no sign of backlash. A husband’s drinking was the biggest risk factor, and women’s higher education was strongly protective. Protection was weakest in Lodhran, the poorest district. BISP may reduce violence more if it is linked with support for women’s income and social contacts, alcohol treatment and legal services.