- Violence against women generates economic costs that extend beyond survivors to society as a whole.
- Information systems are a key investment in preventing and addressing violence against women.
- Interoperability allows for a faster and more effective response to cases of violence.
Information systems are one of the foundations of a state capable of preventing and addressing cases of violence against women. However, in the face of the pressure that political leadership often faces to offer responses to a phenomenon that has tragic consequences and high media visibility, this foundation is often relegated.
Why does this happen despite its importance? Because the benefits of investing in information systems may not be as immediately visible as those of other public investments. In this blog post I argue that strengthening these systems represents an opportunity that remains underutilized, as this publication by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) shows.
I begin by summarizing the findings of a fascinating study "The Dynamics of Abusive Relationships" published in the prestigious academic journal Oxford Academic.
In Finland, the interoperability of information systems makes it possible to link, in an anonymized way, reports of domestic abuse with demographic and employment data of survivors and perpetrators. Based on these records, the study found that, one year after starting to live with an abusive man, both women's labor participation and income decrease, with more pronounced effects among those with lower incomes.
Research shows that abusive relationships generate an economic cost that reaches beyond those who suffer them: they also produce job and productivity losses for society. In addition, separation from an abusive partner is more likely when women's economic opportunities improve or the availability of care services, such as shelters and social workers, increases.
It is important to underline that this finding — the economic costs of living with an abusive man — is distinct from the broader literature on the costs of violence against women. These findings highlight the high personal and social costs of violence against women. They also underscore the importance of effective systems that can identify risks early, coordinate support across institutions, and connect women with the services they need.
We cannot easily compare these impacts across contexts because information systems in Latin America and the Caribbean have not yet achieved the same degree of interoperability as those in Finland. However, the main consequence of not having solid information systems is not the limitation that this entails for applied research, but how it directly affects the lives of people in situations of abuse or violence.
A recent IDB publication, focused on 18 countries in the region, documents that only four have platforms that allow the secure exchange of information between the institutions responsible for preventing domestic violence, and those that provide services to survivors. This lack of interoperability can make it difficult to adopt prevention measures in a timely manner and slow down judicial processes. When women are referred from one service to another, they may be forced to repeat information about their case, which can lead to revictimization. Together, these challenges reveal a system that is often slow, fragmented, and inefficient.
Advances in technology are making it easier to strengthen interoperable information systems and to design prevention and care services for women in situations of violence focused on users and their needs.
The IDB publication identifies concrete actions that can be taken in five dimensions to move towards the digital transformation of these services: management, governance, infrastructure, infostructure, and organizational culture. The region has made progress in the transition to electronic records and interoperability in the health sector. There is an urgent need to take advantage of this experience and the capacities of the services that prevent and address violence against women.
Opinion polls frequently point to insecurity as one of the main problems identified by citizens in our region. However, the most prevalent form of violence in Latin America and the Caribbean is that which occurs within households. If information systems are indeed an essential foundation for preventing and addressing violence against women, investing in them is not merely a technological upgrade. It is an investment in more effective public services, better outcomes for women, and lower social and economic costs for society.
Read the IDB publication to learn more about the five dimensions to move towards the digital transformation of services for the prevention and care of violence against women.