Journal Article

Gender inequality and intimate partner violence in Bolivia

Camargo, Esperanza

2019

Overview

Intimate partner violence against women is of particular concern in Bolivia, a country ranked second among ten Latin American countries in the prevalence of physical and sexual violence toward women (Hindin, Kishor, and Ansara, 2008). This study examines the correlation between intimate partner violence and the type of domestic decision making. Using factor analysis and structural equation modeling on a sample of 2,759 Bolivian heterosexual couples, this study finds that intimate partner violence is less likely to occur in families in which the decision making is egalitarian (female and male partners make decisions together) but more likely to occur when either the male partner or the female partner makes decisions alone. These findings support the hypotheses that the gender distribution of power may cause conflict between intimate heterosexual partners (Anderson, 1997; Dobash, Dobash, Wilson, and Daly, 1992; Jewkes, 2002). It also goes further in demonstrating that such distribution could lead to egalitarian, matriarchal, or patriarchal domestic decision making and that there are differential consequences for both intimate partner offending and victimization. In rural areas, Bolivian women are more vulnerable; men more often make decisions alone; and women are less educated and poorer than in urban areas. In the patriarchal-type family, men make decisions and may abuse their female partners physically and psychologically. This type of family is poorer and less educated, and it is inversely correlated with women’s and men’s education. Indeed, education seems to play a key role in heterosexual relationships; men's education is inversely correlated with females' physical victimization. However, these findings also support a) the status inconsistency theory: in wealthier, more educated households, the female partner made decisions alone but was still physically and psychologically abused by her intimate partner, and b) intimate partner violence is influenced by structural factors, such as patriarchal beliefs, social power structure, poverty, and social inequalities (Barak, 2003, 2006).

• Publisher: Universidad Nacional de Colombia,Universidad Nacional de Colombia; Facultad de Ciencias Humanas; Departamento de Sociología
• Subject: Bolivia / Bolívia / control theory / Couples / Decision making / decision making at home / desigualdad de género / desigualdade de gênero / discriminación de género / discriminação de gênero / domestic decision making / Domestic violence / Education / egalitarian families / Egalitarianism / equidad de género / equidad en la familia / equidade de gênero / equidade na família / Females / gender discrimination / Gender inequality / Gender roles / Heterosexuality / Households / Intimate partner violence / Men / papéis de gênero / Physical education / Poverty / power / Power structure / roles de género / Rural areas / Sex crimes / Social inequality / Social power / SOCIAL SCIENCES, INTERDISCIPLINARY / Status inconsistency / status inconsistency theory / Structural equation modeling / toma de decisiones / toma de decisiones en el hogar / tomada de decisões / tomada de decisões no lar / Urban areas / Victimization / violencia de género / violencia doméstica / violência de gênero / violência doméstica / Vulnerability / Women