London: Companies with a higher number of women in senior roles are significantly more likely to dismiss employees accused of sexual or physical abuse, according to new analysis of international and UK data compiled by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).
The research highlights that organisations with greater female representation in high-earning and leadership positions are ‘significantly more likely’ to take action against perpetrators. In contrast, male-dominated leadership environments are more likely to see victims leaving their jobs rather than offenders being dismissed.
A Finnish study cited in the findings also revealed that male employees accused of abuse were more likely to be dismissed if the victim was another man, rather than a woman.
The IFS analysis further underscores the severe economic consequences faced by women subjected to workplace or domestic abuse. Studies show that victims often experience job loss, reduced working hours, and a decline in income.
One study found that women who move in with an abusive partner see their earnings fall by an average of 12 percent, with long-term effects that persist even after the relationship ends. Additional research from Finland, based on police and social data, found that women who report rape earn around 17 percent less, even five years after the incident.
This impact is greater than the estimated 13 percent income loss associated with a year of imprisonment in the United States over a similar period. However, the study also noted that in areas where rape cases are more likely to proceed to court, the long-term economic impact on victims is less severe.
Describing the findings as ‘shocking,’ Magdalena Domínguez, a senior research economist and co-author of the report, stressed the importance of addressing gender-based violence from an economic perspective.
Domínguez noted that while victims cannot control their circumstances, responses from employers, law enforcement, and policymakers can significantly influence recovery outcomes.
The IFS also examined UK-based studies showing that higher female unemployment increases the risk of domestic abuse, highlighting how financial dependence can heighten vulnerability and expose the role of economic conditions in gender-based violence.
The report pointed to policing measures as an effective deterrent. Evidence suggests that arrests can significantly reduce future offences, with one study from the West Midlands showing that domestic violence arrests halve repeat emergency calls within a year.
Another study from Greater Manchester found that filing criminal charges reduced reoffending by nearly 40 percent. However, risk assessments and protective measures alone were found to have a limited impact on preventing repeat violence.
Katrin Hohl, the government’s independent adviser on rape, said the findings highlight the urgent need for policymakers and businesses to address the widespread social and economic consequences of violence against women and girls.
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