Women’s Access to Labor Market Opportunities, Control of Household Resources, and Domestic Violence: Evidence from Bangladesh

SummaryWhile there are many positive societal implications of increased female labor force participation, working may increase a woman’s risk of domestic violence. Using data I collected from Bangladesh, I document a positive correlation between work and domestic violence, but only among women with low education or young age at marriage. These results suggest that women with low bargaining power face increased risk of domestic violence upon entering the labor force as their husbands seek to counteract their increased bargaining power. Consequently, policies that increase women’s baseline bargaining power will decrease the risk that they face domestic violence upon beginning work.