Domestic violence laws and social norms: Evidence from Pakistan

We investigate the effects of Domestic Violence (DV) laws in Pakistan on violence against women. Using both survey data and crime reports, and exploiting the introduction of the laws across different provinces over time, we show that the new laws had little to no effect on DV or femicides in Punjab and Sindh, while they led to an increase in both in Balochistan. The effect in Balochistan is driven by ethnic groups with more conservative attitudes towards DV and divorce. Our findings show that the introduction of laws that conflict with prevailing social norms may risk backfiring. • We study the impact of the introduction of domestic violence (DV) laws across Pakistan’s provinces. • The laws led to a reduction in prevalence of severe forms of reported DV in Sindh and Punjab and of femicides in Punjab. • In Balochistan, the introduction of the DV law led to an increase in both self-reported physical violence and femicides. • The rise of DV in Balochistan was stronger among women from ethnic groups with more conservative norms. • Findings suggest that laws that conflict with prevailing social norms may backfire.