Gender-Based Violence and Judge Responses

Xiqian Cai, Shuai Chen, Zhengquan Cheng and Emily E. Nix

No 34345, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: In China, only 37% of divorce petitions citing domestic violence are granted, with evidence suggesting that judges often prioritize preserving marriages even in cases of abuse. We investigate whether judicial decision-making can shift in response to broader social change. Exploiting the rise of the #MeToo movement, which reshaped societal perceptions of gender-based violence, we find that female judges in China became 8 percentage points more likely to grant divorces in domestic violence cases. These results suggest that judicial attitudes and actions on gender-based violence cases are malleable.

JEL-codes: J12 K36 K38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cna, nep-law and nep-sea
Note: CH LE
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