Female employment and intimate partner violence in Turkey – Northeastern University

Report on the Intersection of Female Employment, Intimate Partner Violence, and Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Executive Summary

This report analyzes research examining the complex relationship between female economic empowerment, specifically through employment, and the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV). The findings are critical to understanding the multifaceted challenges in achieving key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). The research highlights a dual-outcome scenario where economic empowerment can either reduce a woman’s exposure to violence or, conversely, trigger a “backlash effect,” potentially increasing her risk.

2.0 Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

The subject matter directly informs strategies for several interconnected SDGs:

• SDG 5: Gender Equality: The research is central to achieving Target 5.2, which calls for the elimination of all forms of violence against all women and girls. It explores economic empowerment as a primary tool for realizing this goal.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: By focusing on female employment, the analysis aligns with Target 8.5, which aims for full, productive, and decent work for all women and men.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: Addressing the economic and safety disparities between genders is fundamental to reducing overall inequality within and among countries.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: The effort to reduce domestic violence contributes directly to Target 16.1, which seeks to significantly reduce all forms of violence everywhere.

3.0 Analysis of Research Findings

Research by Erten and Keskin investigates the nuanced effects of increasing women’s access to economic resources on their safety within the household. The relationship is not linear and presents two divergent potential outcomes.

3.1 Potential Positive Impact on SDG 5

A primary hypothesis suggests that economic empowerment yields positive results for gender equality and safety.

1. An increase in resources available to women, through employment or other means, can strengthen their bargaining power within the household.
2. This enhanced agency may enable women to negotiate safer domestic environments, thereby reducing their exposure to intimate partner violence.
3. This outcome represents a direct pathway where progress on SDG 8 (Decent Work) contributes positively to achieving SDG 5 (Gender Equality).

3.2 Potential Negative “Backlash Effect”

Conversely, a growing body of work has identified a significant risk that complicates the link between economic empowerment and the reduction of violence.

1. An increase in female-controlled resources may strengthen a male partner’s incentive to use violence as an instrument for resource extraction.
2. This phenomenon, termed the “backlash effect,” suggests that empowerment initiatives can inadvertently trigger an increase in violence against women.
3. This adverse outcome demonstrates a critical conflict where efforts toward SDG 8 could undermine progress on SDG 5 if not implemented with protective measures.

4.0 Conclusion and Implications for SDG Strategy

The research underscores that while promoting female employment is a vital strategy for achieving SDG 5 and SDG 8, it is not a standalone solution for eliminating intimate partner violence. Policymakers and development practitioners must design empowerment programs that are sensitive to local contexts and anticipate potential backlash. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires an integrated approach that combines economic opportunities for women with robust legal protections, social norm change initiatives, and support systems to ensure that empowerment does not come at the cost of personal safety.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   The article primarily addresses issues related to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

   • SDG 5: Gender Equality: This is the most central SDG to the article. The text explicitly discusses key components of gender equality, such as “women’s economic empowerment,” “female employment,” and the direct challenge of “intimate partner violence” and “domestic violence.” The entire premise of the research is to understand the complex relationship between these gender-specific issues.
   • SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The article identifies “female employment” as a specific empowerment mechanism being studied. This directly connects to the goal of achieving full, productive, and decent work for all, including women.
   • SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: This goal aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, which includes reducing all forms of violence. The article’s focus on “intimate partner violence” as a critical social issue aligns with the broader objective of SDG 16 to create safer communities.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   Based on the specific issues discussed, the following targets can be identified:

   • Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres. The article’s core subject is the “risk of intimate partner violence” and “domestic violence,” which is precisely what this target aims to eliminate. The research explores how economic factors can either reduce or exacerbate this violence.
   • Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men. The article uses “female employment” as the primary variable of interest. The research investigates whether achieving this target for women leads to positive outcomes in other areas of their lives, such as safety from violence.
   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The focus on “intimate partner violence” is a direct component of “all forms of violence” that this target seeks to reduce. The article highlights the complexity of reducing this specific type of violence through economic interventions.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   While the article does not mention official indicator codes, it implies the use of specific metrics to measure the phenomena it discusses:

   • Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence: The article’s focus on the “risk of intimate partner violence” implies the measurement of its occurrence. This directly relates to Indicator 5.2.1: “Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner.”
   • Female Employment Rate: The research is centered on the “effect of a particular empowerment mechanism – female employment.” This implies using the rate of women’s employment or labor force participation as a key metric. This is a common measure used to track progress towards Target 8.5.
   • Women’s Access to Economic Resources: The article mentions “an increase in resources available to women” and “conditional cash transfers” as mechanisms of empowerment. This implies an indicator that measures women’s economic status, income, or control over household financial resources, which is a key aspect of measuring economic empowerment under SDG 5.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators (Implied from the Article)
   SDG 5: Gender Equality	Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls.	Prevalence/risk of intimate partner violence (corresponds to official Indicator 5.2.1).
   SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth	Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men.	Rate of female employment.
   SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence.	Incidence of domestic and intimate partner violence as a measure of “all forms of violence.”

Source: cssh.northeastern.edu