This study investigates the extent to which the legislation targeting domestic violence may influence both women’s victimization by their partners and marital dissolution in 54 developing countries. We find that the legislation is effective in reducing domestic violence against women, evidenced by the decreases in the composite indices of emotional abuse, less severe violence, more severe violence, and sexual violence by 13.6, 14.4, 19.6, and 11.5%, relatively, relative to the sample averages. The legislation also makes women less likely to be divorced. Our heterogeneity analysis reveals that the disadvantaged population, i.e., rural women, poorly educated women, women having poorly educated spouses, and women from relatively poorer households, might receive less protection from the domestic violence law. Our findings call for more reforms in the legislative systems, so that domestic violence victims can be better protected.

Women's equal access to and control over economic resources such as land are integral to achieve gender equality and sustainable economic development. This study evaluates the impacts of women's land ownership on various women's and household's outcomes in the context of Vietnam. We discuss the beneficial effects of allowing women to own more land on both women and their families. In particular, there is a positive association between women's land ownership and intra‐household bargaining power in various aspects. In particular, the relationship is the strongest for women's autonomy in decisions regarding their children. It is also easier for land‐holding women to formally access credit and invest in human capital. We further study the favorable effects of women's land ownership on their families in terms of spending and saving behaviors. Finally, women's land ownership also contributes to household social capital. These findings lend support to the passage and implementation of laws intended to grant women equal rights to the ownership and control over land.

The purpose of this study is to see if Peruvian mothers with greater levels of education produce healthier infants (N=80,525). According to the findings, Peruvian mothers with a higher educational level had healthier infants than Peruvian mothers with a lower educational level. In terms of statistics, one additional education year in Peru is linked to a 9.4678 gram rise in Peruvian birth weight and a 0.27 percentage point reduction in Peruvian low birth weight risk.