Abstract
Using data from the Colombian Demographic and Health Survey, I study the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and women's employment. I find that the incidence of IPV increases the likelihood of female employment in about 16 percentage points. This result persists when I exploit the husband's childhood exposure to domestic violence as a source of exogenous variation for IPV. The relationship of interest is robust to small departures from the exclusion restriction. To explain the results, I explore the role of women's decision-making power. The predominant theoretical prediction indicates that women may enter or increase their participation in the labor force to escape violent situations at home by enhancing their bargaining power. I find weak evidence in support of this mechanism, although the effect of IPV on employment may be lessened among abused women with higher initial bargaining power.
Acerca de la expositora
Johanna es candidata a Ph.D. en Economía Aplicada de la University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Master en Economía de University College London y Economista de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia, sede Bogotá. Sus áreas de interés son desarrollo económico, economía de la salud y de la educación y economía del hogar. Ha sido profesora asistente en la University of Minnesota, Twin Cities y en la Universidad Nacional de Colombia.