Effect of Violence against Women on Victims and their Children: Evidence from Central America, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti

This paper presents a systematic overview of the evidence of violence against women in Central America, Mexico, Panama, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic and examines its impact on the well-being of women and their children. Population-based surveys show that violence against women remains a widespread issue in the region. The study assesses the impact of violence on a series of outcome variables related to a woman’s health and socioeconomic condition using a novel propensity score reweighting technique. It finds evidence that violence against women negatively affects victims’ reproductive and physical health as well as their fertility preferences. It also finds evidence that violence against mothers has an adverse effect on children’s advancement in school and overall health.