Evaluating Incentives for Firms to Hire Abused Women

This pilot study aims to prepare the groundwork for a future randomised evaluation of employment support policies for female survivors of violence and domestic abuse. The setting is Italy, where the government has been active in promoting policies to support survivors’ income and also encourage companies to hire women who have experienced domestic violence with financial incentives. Yet, very few firms and/or eligible women are aware of these governmental initiatives, raising questions about whether there are frictions in the demand or supply of labour by survivors of abuse that hinder efficient matches in the labour market.

Our goal in this pilot is to understand whether and how such policies – or other forms of labour market assistance -  might help survivors of domestic abuse and/or other forms of violence find and keep stable employment. To do this, we will test whether women know about such policies, what challenges they face in applying for jobs, and whether issues such as stigma or low self-confidence affect their decisions. We will also explore how employers view survivors of abuse as job candidates, and whether correcting any misperceptions about their abilities could increase hiring.

In particular, to prepare for a future randomised evaluation that can tackle both the supply and demand of labor within this setting: i) on women’s side (supply), we will explore women’s employment aspirations, awareness of support programs, and potential barriers to participation in the labor market and ii) on employers’ side, we will explore potential misperceptions involved in hiring abuse survivors. The future RCT will focus on weakening women’s barriers to participation in the labour market and potentially providing information to employers.

The study will also help us build a safe and respectful way of reaching women who have experienced abuse, so we can better understand their needs. It will inform the design of future support programs and ensure that any larger study is both ethical and effective.