Women's Health at the Nexus of Poverty and Domestic Violence: Evidence from the Developing World

Sunita Kishor, ORC Macro
Kiersten Johnson, ORC Macro

In this paper, we examine the different linkages that exist between household poverty/wealth status and domestic violence using data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). Poverty/wealth status of households is measured using an asset-based wealth index that has been shown to be robust. Using the data for a selected number of countries, we analyze both the effect of poverty/wealth on violence and of violence on poverty/wealth within a comparative framework. In addition, we examine selected health outcomes for women at the poverty/violence nexus.