Intimate Partner Violence and Female Job Exit in Colombia

Johanna Fajardo-Gonzalez, University of Minnesota

I explore the effects of physical and psychological intimate partner violence on women’s labor force exit in Colombia. The relationship between intimate partner violence and female participation in income-generating activities is theoretically ambiguous since a more active women’s contribution to household income may reduce spousal violence, but it could also be that spousal violence translates into fewer hours of work and even job exit. Empirically, we face a problem of endogeneity between a woman’s decision to stay or get involved in a violent marital relationship and to exit the labor force. In order to address this potential endogeneity, I exploit the variation presented by a spouse/partner's own experience of violence against him during childhood for identification purposes. Using the 2005 Colombian Demographic and Health Survey and instrumental variables, I find evidence of a positive relationship between intimate partner violence and job exit.