Can A Woman’s Rising Social Status Bring Down Rates Of Domestic Violence?

Around the world, one in three women experiences domestic violence. How can it be reduced? New research is bringing unexpected insights into this problem — and its potential solutions.

A study accepted for publication this month by the Review of Economics and Statistics found that, in Bangladesh, improving the economic status of women can decrease domestic violence if the women also took part in an educational program that helped elevate their social standing in the community.

Women who received both economic assistance and education for two years reported a 26 percent decrease in domestic violence — even several months after the program stopped.