GUWAHATI: 45% of women and 44% of men in India believe a husband is justified in physically assaulting his wife under certain circumstances, according to a National Family Health Survey-5 report.
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Involving over one lakh respondents of each gender, the survey presented seven scenarios where wife-beating must be justified, with some of the reasons including the wife showing neglect to housework or children, treating in-laws with disrespect, and refusing the husband sexual intercourse. Over 30% of men and women considered violence justified in these instances.
State-level data revealed that more than 80% of women in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana justified wife-beating under the provided circumstances, while 82% of men in Karnataka and 70% in Telangana agreed with the same. The only reason that was least supported for violence was the wife refusing sex.
A startling 45% of women and 44% of men in India believe a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances, according to the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5). The survey, which involved over one lakh respondents of each gender, highlights entrenched attitudes toward domestic violence in Indian society.
In the survey, more men justified domestic violence than women across 15 states and Union Territories. Agreement with wife-beating was generally higher among rural respondents and those with minimal education, while it decreased from 53% among women with less than five years of schooling to 38% among those with 12 or more years. The same trend was noticed among men.
Across 15 states and Union Territories, more men justified domestic violence than women. In 21 states, the reverse was true. Agreement with wife-beating was higher among rural respondents and those with less education, decreasing from 53% among women with less than five years of schooling to 38% among those with 12 or more years. A similar trend was seen among men.
“Rejection of such norms signifies greater gender equality,” the report states. But, despite some progress, attitudes toward wife-beating among men have worsened slightly, with a two-percentage-point increase since the 2015-16 NFHS report.