Can women’s economic empowerment drive gender-based violence?
Women’s economic empowerment is often touted as the magic bullet — one that can respond to and mitigate violence by increasing the bargaining power women have within their households, communities, and beyond.
The proposed panacea is enticing: increase women’s earnings and bargaining power, raise household incomes, reduce poverty, and promote more gender equality within and beyond the household. However, others contend that while the focus on economic empowerment is critical, these approaches need to address the social and gender norms that underlie and perpetuate behaviors such as violence, especially in contexts where women don’t have the freedom to dissolve their marriages, leave their partners, and take their families and property with them.
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Author: Neetu John, Sarah Gammage
Source: Devex