Speaker: Gustavo Bobonis is an Associate Professor of Economics at Toronto University. More »

Abstract: This paper provides evidence of the long-term relationship between male-to-female spousal violence and the Oportunidades conditional cash transfer program. We use data from three nationally representative surveys that include detailed information on the prevalence of spousal abuse and threats of violence against women. Constructing comparable groups of beneficiary and non-beneficiary households within each village to minimize potential selection biases, we find that – in contrast to the short-run estimates – physical and emotional abuse rates do not vary significantly among existing beneficiary and non-beneficiary couples. We examine possible mechanisms for the discrepancy in the short and long-term impacts of the program; most importantly, the role that marital selection and the diffusion of norms rejecting intimate partner violence may play in explaining these effects.

Paper: Conditional Cash Transfers for Women and Spousal Violence: Evidence of the Long-Term Relationship from the Oportunidades Program in Rural Mexico

Last Updated: May 14, 2015