Economic Cost of Violence against Women

Violence against women is one of the gravest and most pervasive violations of women’s human rights globally, the effects of which are not limited to the victim and her physical and psychological well-being, but manifest in costs to the society and the economy as a whole. An assessment of the economic cost of violence focuses on this aspect of gender-based violence; it aims to assess the monetary impact that violence against women has on the victims and on organisations and institutions (state and non-state) dealing with cases of violence. An evaluation of these costs highlights the serious strain gender-based violence puts on a country’s resources, an issue of particular concern to developing countries such as Pakistan that already struggle with scarce resources.

This report aims to stocktake some of the existing studies on the economic cost of gender-based violence, conducted both globally as well as in Pakistan. Through extensive literature review conducted by students at the Center under the direction of project leads, the report summarises the findings of these studies and the various methodologies each used. It also highlights the lack of a concerted effort in Pakistan to calculate and study the economic impact of gender-based violence in the country. It further provides recommendations on the way forward in order to improve data collection in this area and enhance the effectiveness of policies aimed at the prevention and reduction of violence against women in Pakistan.

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Principal researcher:Rabia Yasmin Bokhari
‍Student researchers:Asad Naveed Hashmi, Anushay Babar, Hajra Yasmin Bokhari, Minhal Saad, Uzma Nazir Chaudhry