Gender pay gap and domestic violence against women in Peru

Abstract

In Peru, 68% of women nationwide report having been victims of intimate partner violence at some point. However, very little is known about the economic determinants of domestic violence against women. This study aims to analyze the relationship between the gender wage gap and domestic violence in Peru. Specifically, it seeks to measure the effect of the gender wage gap on the risk of experiencing domestic violence. In this case, the wage gap is a characteristic of the labor market in which women face a disadvantage compared to men. Therefore, violence is not only explained by the characteristics of women, their partners, and their households, but also by labor market conditions. It is found that wide wage gaps are associated with higher incidences of physical and emotional violence. This result also extends to non-working women. They benefit from greater equality in the labor market, which provides them with higher potential earnings, which increases their bargaining power within the home and facilitates their escape from violent relationships.