Working Paper: NBER ID: w27562
Authors: Saravana Ravindran; Manisha Shah
Abstract: Violence against women is a problem worldwide, with economic costs ranging from 1-4% of global GDP. Using variation in the intensity of government-mandated lock-downs in India, we show that domestic violence complaints increase 0.47 SD in districts with the strictest lockdown rules. We find similarly large increases in cyber-crime complaints. However, rape and sexual assault complaints decrease 0.4 SD in districts with the strictest lockdowns, consistent with decreased female mobility in public spaces, public transport, and workplaces. Longer-term analysis shows that in-creases in domestic violence complaints persist one year later, while other complaints related to rape, sexual assault, and cybercrimes return to pre-lockdown levels.
Keywords: COVID-19; lockdowns; domestic violence; cybercrime; violence against women
JEL Codes: I15; I18; J12; J16; O15
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Lockdown measures (F38) | Domestic violence complaints (J12) |
| Lockdown measures (F38) | Cybercrime complaints (K24) |
| Lockdown measures (F38) | Rape and sexual assault complaints (K42) |
| Husbands' belief in justified domestic violence (J12) | Domestic violence complaints (J12) |
| Wives' belief in justified domestic violence (J12) | Domestic violence complaints (J12) |