Women economic empowerment via cash transfer and microcredit programs is enough to decrease intimate partner...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Economics

Background:

• Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global public health issue.
• Women's socio-economic empowerment is proposed as a strategy to reduce IPV.
• Microcredit programs (MP) and cash transfer programs (CTP) are economic empowerment initiatives with debated effects on IPV.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the influence of women's economic empowerment through MP and CTP on the risk of physical, psychological, and sexual IPV.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of published papers in English, Portuguese, or Spanish.
• Inclusion criteria: primary data, assessed MP or CTP effect on IPV in heterosexual couples, focused on risk outcomes.
• Comparator groups eligible for MP or CTP were required.

Main Results:

• Microcredit programs (MP) had mixed effects on physical and physical/sexual violence, with trivial or no effect on sexual violence.
• Cash transfer programs (CTP) showed heterogeneous effects across physical, physical/sexual, psychological, and sexual violence.
• Women with increased empowerment and autonomy may face higher risks, indicating a complex relationship.

Conclusions:

• Economic empowerment programs for women yield complex and varied impacts on IPV risk.
• Despite potential risks, participation in empowerment programs should be encouraged for vulnerable populations.
• Addressing IPV requires parallel interventions to mitigate risks associated with increased women's autonomy.