Mining expansion and intimate partner violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo: a difference-in-differences analysis of disaggregated violence types

The The paper explores how mining expansions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after 2007 affected different forms of domestic violence against women. Going beyond most existing studies, we distinguish between emotional, moderate, and sexual violence, thus capturing a broader spectrum of harm. Using georeferenced data from two waves of the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and applying a Difference-in-Differences approach, we compare women living near newly operational industrial mines to those farther away. We find a statistically significant increase in moderate violence, a form often overlooked in the literature. We then test a potential mechanism, showing that increased alcohol consumption by male partners partially explains this pattern, though the effect of mining remains even after controlling for alcohol use. These findings underscore how mining-driven economic change can reshape household dynamics and reinforce gendered vulnerabilities. By focusing on disaggregated types of violence, this study contributes new evidence to the literature on the social consequences of resource extraction in fragile contexts. Policymakers, development agencies, and mining companies should prioritize targeted interventions including alcohol abuse programs, economic security initiatives for women, community-based support systems, and strengthened institutional frameworks for victim protection. Our findings contribute to the literature on extractive industries and gender by demonstrating that economic development through mining can simultaneously intensify specific, often-overlooked vulnerabilities, even when severe violence remains unchanged.