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Women in Office: The Impact of Female Politicians on Gender-Based Violence Reporting

Gender-based violence in the U.S. is a silent epidemic. Twenty percent of women experience rape, yet only one in three reports it. Using FBI data and a regression discontinuity design, we examine the impact of female U.S. House Representatives on reported rapes and femicides. Our findings suggest an increase in reporting, rather than higher levels of violence. Our setting and additional analysis allow us to rule out policy channels. We argue that female politicians serve as role models, influencing reporting through symbolic and social pathways. Congressional speech data support this argument: female legislators advocate more against gender-based violence, and their speeches correlate with higher reporting in their districts.

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Violencia | Género | Mujer | Seguridad ciudadana | Trabajo y protección social

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Estados Unidos

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https://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2542

Date

2025-11-14

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6.1 Documentos de trabajo en investigación socioeconómica

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Except where otherwised noted, this item's license is described as CC-BY-NC-ND
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Women in office The impact of female politicians on gender based violence reporting.pdf (1.42 MB)

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