Economic Costs of Intimate Partner Violence in Ethiopia

Abstract

Reduction of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a recognised public health
goal worldwide. However, the negative economic impacts of IPV against women,
households and the economy are not well studied, especially in African countries. Based
on a primary quantitative survey of 2,095 women, this study addresses this gap by
estimating the economics costs of IPV against women in Ethiopia, focusing on out-ofpocket (OOP) costs, lost productivity and poverty. According to our study, the lifetime
prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) is approximately 36%, while the prevalence
of IPV within the past year is around 21%. In terms of lost productivity, women missed
an average of 19 care workdays due to IPV and husbands (perpetrators) missed 11 care
workdays. In addition, working women had a productivity loss of about 17 days due to
violence experienced in lifetime. OOP costs were also substantial. In nearly a third of
incidents (34%), women reported incurring an average expense of 2,934 Birr, which
represents roughly 10% of their annual earnings. Furthermore, using Propensity Score
Matching (PSM) analysis, it was found that intimate partner violence (IPV) resulted in a
reduction of 372.83 Birr in women's income, 929.90 Birr in household income, and
332.95 Birr in household spending. The consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV)
for women and their families entail substantial financial instability and negative effects
on social well-being. These results stress the importance of integrating IPV prevention
and response measures into national policies and budgets, as well as strongly improving
current initiatives to prevent and combat IPV.