publication

enGENDER IMPACT: Addressing Gender-Based Violence


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Gender-based violence (GBV) is widespread around the world, in rich societies and in poor. It can take many different forms: physical, sexual, emotional, and economic. Gender-based violence takes places in homes, communities, schools, and workplaces. While no single person should have to experience violence, the evidence shows that GBV is widespread.

According to a 2013 World Health Organization study, more than 35 percent of women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual partner violence or non-partner sexual violence. Gender-based violence is a human rights violation, but it also has broader repercussions for development. The economic costs of lost productivity due to domestic violence conservatively range from 1.2 to 2 percent of GDP—about most governments’ spending on primary education in developing countries. 

To date, there are only a few World Bank impact evaluations related to GBV. Further, evidence reviews show that there are far too few rigorous impact evaluations on the topic in developing contexts generally. There is some evidence from the World Bank that multi-component programs have the ability to reduce the risk of GBV and help women cope with violence. Gender-based violence will be a focus area for future World Bank evaluations.

Issue brief: Preventing Child Marriage: Lessons from World Bank Group Gender Impact Evaluations

Issue brief: Gender-Based Violence Prevention: Lessons Learned from World Bank Impact Evaluations

Relevant outcomes: domestic violence (emotional, physical, sexual, economic), sexual abuse or harassment, traditional practices harmful to women, female homicide, human trafficking, mental or physical health consequences of exposure to violence, child sexual abuse, help-seeking or reporting behaviors, norms or attitudes related to GBV


IE Title & Author(s)

Country

Gender Outcome(s)

Intervention Category

Building Women's Economic and Social Empowerment Through Enterprise: An Experimental Assessment of the Women's Income Generating Support (WINGS) Program in Uganda
Blattman, et al.

Uganda

Gender disaggregated earnings, savings, consumption, psychological agency, domestic violence

Cash Transfer

Controlled Trial of Psychotherapy for Congolese Survivors of Sexual Violence
Bass, et al.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Mental or physical consequences of GBV, psychological agency

Psychological Treatment

Do Teenagers Respond to HIV Risk Information? Evidence from a Field Experiment in Kenya
Dupas

Kenya

Reproductive Health

Sexual Education

Empowering Adolescent Girls: Evidence from a Randomized Control Trial in Uganda
Bandiera, et al.

Uganda

Girls vocational knowledge or skills, labor force participation, psychological agency, reproductive health

Training, Cash Transfer

Village Savings and Loans Associations, Gender Dialogue Groups, and Gender-Based Violence Against Women
in Cote d'Ivoire: Findings from a randomized community trial

Gupta, et al.

Cote d'Ivoire

Domestic violence, norms or attitudes towards GBV, intrahousehold decision making

Support Groups, T

 

 



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