Economics, Politics, Legislation, and Education: The Global Gender Gap and Female Homicide Victimization

• In Event: Macro-level Research on Violence Against Women and Intimates

Abstract

Research problem: The ability of women to protect themselves from violence by intimate partners, family members, and government agents, and to affect justice when violated, is mediated by their ability to get an education, earn and control economic resources, and have a voice in the political and social organization of their society. These social conditions stem from varying socio-cultural beliefs and practices of nations and often put women at risk of injury, including lethal injury.
Design: This study uses cross-national data from the World Economic Forum, UN Global Homicide Data, and World Health Organization data to examine the impact of economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, political empowerment, and legislative action on lethal violence against women over age 15 in 50 nations.
Findings: We find political empowerment is the primary social condition decreasing rates of female homicide victimization. Economic participation has a positive relationship with female homicide victimization rates. Counter to most previous research, we find no relationship between educational achievement or effectiveness of legislation and lethal violence against women.
Conclusions: Females in political positions could reduce violence against women cross-nationally. Our findings support backlash theory that men use violence against women as punishment for noncompliance with traditional, gender roles.

Authors

• Amber Thompson, Texas Tech University

• Martha Smithey, Texas Tech University