Johannes Haushofer

Associate Professor

Princeton University

 

Title:

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

 

Abstract: 

We use a randomized controlled trial to study the impact of unconditional cash transfers on intimate partner violence (IPV) in western Kenya. Cash transfers to women of on average USD 709 PPP led to a 0.26 SD decrease in physical violence, and transfers to men to a 0.18 SD decrease. In contrast, sexual violence was reduced after transfers to the woman (0.22 SD), but not to the man. We construct a theory which in combination with our empirical findings suggests that violence is instrumental and expressively distasteful: the husband uses violence to extract resources from the wife, but dislikes it otherwise. The theory further suggests that transfers to the wife primarily reduce IPV by reducing her tolerance of it, while transfers to the husband reduce IPV by reducing his marginal taste for it. We also observe a large and significant spillover effect: non-recipient women in treatment villages report a 0.16 SD reduction in physical violence. These results suggest that poverty alleviation through unconditional cash transfers can decrease IPV both in recipient and neighboring households.