The Heavy Economic Toll of Gender-based Violence: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

The Heavy Economic Toll of Gender-based Violence: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
Author: Rasmane Ouedraogo
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 39
Release: 2021-11-19
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1557754071

The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns have led to a rise in gender-based violence. In this paper, we explore the economic consequences of violence against women in sub-Saharan Africa using large demographic and health survey data collected pre-pandemic. Relying on a two-stage least square method to address endogeneity, we find that an increase in the share of women subject to violence by 1 percentage point can reduce economic activities (as proxied by nightlights) by up to 8 percent. This economic cost results from a significant drop in female employment. Our results also show that violence against women is more detrimental to economic development in countries without protective laws against domestic violence, in natural resource rich countries, in countries where women are deprived of decision-making power and during economic downturns. Beyond the moral imperative, the findings highlight the importance of combating violence against women from an economic standpoint, particularly by reinforcing laws against domestic violence and strengthening women’s decision-making power.

Women, Business and the Law 2020

Women, Business and the Law 2020
Author: World Bank Group
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 215
Release: 2020-04-24
Genre: Law
ISBN: 146481533X

The World Bank Group’s Women, Business and the Law examines laws and regulations affecting women’s prospects as entrepreneurs and employees across 190 economies. Its goal is to inform policy discussions on how to remove legal restrictions on women and promote research on how to improve women’s economic inclusion.

Safe Abortion

Safe Abortion
Author: World Health Organization
Publisher: World Health Organization
Total Pages: 107
Release: 2003-05-13
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9241590343

At a UN General Assembly Special Session in 1999, governments recognised unsafe abortion as a major public health concern, and pledged their commitment to reduce the need for abortion through expanded and improved family planning services, as well as ensure abortion services should be safe and accessible. This technical and policy guidance provides a comprehensive overview of the many actions that can be taken in health systems to ensure that women have access to good quality abortion services as allowed by law.

Gender-Based Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa

Gender-Based Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa
Author: Alex Asakitikpi
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 207
Release: 2024-10-15
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1666952982

Gender-Based Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa: Prevalence, Patterns, and Policies examines the multifaceted issue of gender-based violence (GBV) in Sub-Saharan Africa, offering an in-depth exploration of its prevalence, underlying patterns, and the policies and frameworks that aim at addressing it. The book provides a regional overview on the prevalence of GBV, drawing on a wealth of statistical data and case studies, and examines the diverse forms of gender-based violence on the African sub-region, including domestic violence, sexual harassment, trafficking, and harmful traditional practices, highlighting the complex social, cultural, and economic factors that create and sustain these abuses.In analyzing GBV patterns, contributing authors investigate the dynamics of power and control that underpin gender-based violence, exploring how the intersection of identities such as class, migration, and sexuality influence individuals' experiences. The policy component evaluates international, national, and local responses to GBV, and reviews existing legal frameworks, protection mechanisms, and support services, identifying both best practices and significant gaps. It also considers the effectiveness of public awareness campaigns, education programs, and community-based interventions in shifting societal attitudes and reducing the incidence of GBV. This book provides essential insights for policymakers, researchers, students, and activists committed to combating GBV and supporting survivors.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa
Author: World Bank
Publisher:
Total Pages: 324
Release: 1989
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN:

3. Investing in people.

Gender and Economic Growth in Kenya

Gender and Economic Growth in Kenya
Author:
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 164
Release: 2007
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0821369202

This book examines the legal, administrative, and regulatory barriers that are preventing women in Kenya from contributing fully to the Kenyan economy. Building on the 2004 FIAS Improving the Commercial Legal Framework and Removing Administrative and Regulatory Barriers to Investment report, this study looks at the bureaucratic barriers facing women in Kenya through a gender lens.

Violence against Women and Girls

Violence against Women and Girls
Author: Jennifer L. Solotaroff
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 335
Release: 2014-09-04
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 146480172X

This report documents the dynamics of violence against women in South Asia across the life cycle, from early childhood to old age. It explores the different types of violence that women may face throughout their lives, as well as the associated perpetrators (male and female), risk and protective factors for both victims and perpetrators, and interventions to address violence across all life cycle stages. The report also analyzes the societal factors that drive the primarily male — but also female — perpetrators to commit violence against women in the region. For each stage and type of violence, the report critically reviews existing research from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, supplemented by original analysis and select literature from outside the region. Policies and programs that address violence against women and girls are analyzed in order to highlight key actors and promising interventions. Finally, the report identifies critical gaps in research, program evaluations, and interventions in order to provide strategic recommendations for policy makers, civil society, and other stakeholders working to mitigate violence against women in South Asia.

Redistribution, Inequality, and Growth

Redistribution, Inequality, and Growth
Author: Mr.Jonathan David Ostry
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 30
Release: 2014-02-17
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1484397657

The Fund has recognized in recent years that one cannot separate issues of economic growth and stability on one hand and equality on the other. Indeed, there is a strong case for considering inequality and an inability to sustain economic growth as two sides of the same coin. Central to the Fund’s mandate is providing advice that will enable members’ economies to grow on a sustained basis. But the Fund has rightly been cautious about recommending the use of redistributive policies given that such policies may themselves undercut economic efficiency and the prospects for sustained growth (the so-called “leaky bucket” hypothesis written about by the famous Yale economist Arthur Okun in the 1970s). This SDN follows up the previous SDN on inequality and growth by focusing on the role of redistribution. It finds that, from the perspective of the best available macroeconomic data, there is not a lot of evidence that redistribution has in fact undercut economic growth (except in extreme cases). One should be careful not to assume therefore—as Okun and others have—that there is a big tradeoff between redistribution and growth. The best available macroeconomic data do not support such a conclusion.

The Economic Cost of Violence Against Women and Girls

The Economic Cost of Violence Against Women and Girls
Author: Commonwealth Secretariat
Publisher: Commonwealth Secretariat
Total Pages: 130
Release: 2019-07-08
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 184929187X

A framework to assess the economic cost of violence against women and girls that captures linkages and secondary effects to assess the full impact of VAWG. Data gathered will be useful for reporting on SDG5 and SDG16, assess national statistical systems, and measure progress across all of the SDGs in a manner that is inclusive and fair.

Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa

Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2006-11-10
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0309180090

In sub-Saharan Africa, older people make up a relatively small fraction of the total population and are supported primarily by family and other kinship networks. They have traditionally been viewed as repositories of information and wisdom, and are critical pillars of the community but as the HIV/AIDS pandemic destroys family systems, the elderly increasingly have to deal with the loss of their own support while absorbing the additional responsibilities of caring for their orphaned grandchildren. Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa explores ways to promote U.S. research interests and to augment the sub-Saharan governments' capacity to address the many challenges posed by population aging. Five major themes are explored in the book such as the need for a basic definition of "older person," the need for national governments to invest more in basic research and the coordination of data collection across countries, and the need for improved dialogue between local researchers and policy makers. This book makes three major recommendations: 1) the development of a research agenda 2) enhancing research opportunity and implementation and 3) the translation of research findings.