Have you ever wondered if the gender pay gap is just about economics and finances or if it is related to much deeper issues, such as domestic violence? While domestic violence and the pay gap might seem like two completely unrelated issues on the surface, research suggests that both of them are significantly connected. Understanding the relationship between these two is crucial to addressing both economic disparity between genders and domestic violence.
Understanding the Gender Pay Gap
In simple terms, the gender pay gap is the difference between men’s and women’s earnings, usually calculated and expressed in percentages. While the gender pay gap is an issue worldwide, the World Economic Forum ranked India 135th out of 146 countries in its Global Gender Gap report, suggesting that the problem could be particularly significant in India.
Many factors, such as gender norms, types of jobs, workplace discrimination, and education level, influence and contribute to pay parity among the genders. Additionally, women may face breaks and interruptions due to life transitions such as marriage or pregnancy, which may widen the gap further. Research suggests that the pay gap affects women’s financial independence and influences their bargaining power in a household.
Understanding Domestic Violence
Domestic violence includes physical, emotional, psychological, and financial abuse between intimate partners. Like the pay gap, domestic violence is influenced by various factors such as societal norms, economic stress, and power imbalances within households.
Research suggests that the gender pay gap leads to income inequality between men and women, increasing the risk of domestic violence, particularly towards women. Let’s look at the connection between the two in depth in the next section
How Are Gender Pay Gap and Domestic Violence Linked?
Multiple research studies have been undertaken to study the relationship between the gender pay gap and domestic violence, and the results are as follows
- A study published in 2022 investigated the relationship between the gender wage gap and domestic violence in Peru and found that large wage gaps lead to economic disadvantages for women, leading to increased rates of both physical and emotional abuse, suggesting that greater economic equality and higher income reduce women’s vulnerability to domestic violence.
- Another research study published in 2010 aimed to measure the impact of the male-female wage gap on domestic violence against women in America and found that a decrease in the male-female wage gap (ie, women’s wages becoming closer to men’s) led to a reduction in domestic violence against women.. The research also found that increased economic power improved the overall health and well-being of women.
- Another study published in 2020 on the gender wage gap and domestic violence found that increased bargaining power for women within households as a result of a reduced wage gap also reduces intimate partner violence (IPV), suggesting that improved labour markets can indeed play a significant role in protecting women from domestic violence.
- Another study from 2015 investigated the relationship between unemployment and domestic abuse in the UK, The researchers found that increased unemployment in women led to an increase in reported domestic abuse, suggesting that women’s earning and pay might have a significant role in domestic abuse and violence.
- Another research from 2021 studied the relationship between the gender wage gap and violence against women in Brazil and found that a narrowing wage gap led to a significant reduction in violence against women, suggesting that improving women’s economic status through reducing the gender wage gap can effectively reduce violence against them.
Thus, there is a credible body of research to suggest that the gender pay gap does have a significant correlation with domestic violence, particularly against women.
Conclusion:
In summary, the gender pay gap is not just about economic and financial stability, but it also has a significant impact on women’s bargaining power and their physical and psychological safety within households. While financial independence alone cannot eliminate abuse, closing the gender pay gap can play a significant role in reducing women’s vulnerability.
References:
- Ahmadabadi, Z., Najman, J. M., Williams, G. M., & Clavarino, A. M. (2020). Income, Gender, and Forms of Intimate Partner Violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 35(23–24), 5500–5525. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260517719541
- Aizer, A. (2010). The Gender Wage Gap and Domestic Violence. The American Economic Review, 100(4), 1847–1859. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.100.4.1847
- Anderberg, D., Rainer, H., Wadsworth, J., & Wilson, T. (2016). Unemployment and Domestic Violence: Theory and Evidence. The Economic Journal, 126(597), 1947–1979. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecoj.12246
- Henke, A., & Hsu, L. (2020). The gender wage gap, weather, and intimate partner violence. Review of Economics of the Household, 18(2), 413–429. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11150-020-09483-1
- Open Knowledge Repository. (n.d.). Retrieved March 3, 2025, from https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/f6f8263a-fd9e-5be0-9f46-23672fe9baff
- The Gender(ed) Wage Gap & Intimate Partner Violence. (n.d.). CourtneyFurlong. Retrieved March 3, 2025, from https://www.courtneyfurlong.com/blog/genered-wage-gap
- Willie, T. C., & Kershaw, T. S. (2019). An ecological analysis of gender inequality and intimate partner violence in the United States. Preventive Medicine, 118, 257–263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.10.019
