Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Spousal Violence against Working Women in India

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Family Violence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Violence against women, especially spousal violence is a common phenomenon in India which is significantly increasing over the years. In the name of socialization, male dominated orthodox Indian society raises girls to endure male aggression without protest. Indian social norms within this conservative environment discourage women’s employment; consequently, employed women are subjected to more abuse compared to their unemployed counterparts. The current study, based on the National Family Health Survey data, documents the nature and extent of spousal violence against married employed women across job categories. The study reveals that the majority of employed women are skilled or unskilled manual workers, and most of them are subjected to spousal violence. Furthermore, higher category jobs do not protect women from spousal violence. Women’s empowerment, higher education and/or occupation compared to their partner, and partner’s alcoholism further induce cruelty on employed women. However, standard of living and a husband having a comparatively better job are found to reduce spousal violence.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. According to Indian custom in many places child marriage occurred but after marriage girls are not sent to their in-law’s house. After attaining puberty and being matured a separate consummation ceremony takes place to mark her departure for her conjugal home and married life, this ritual is called Gaona.

  2. OBC means Other Backward Classes

  3. SC means Scheduled Castes

  4. ST means Scheduled Tribes.

    Note: OBC, SC and ST are official terms used by Government of India for which certificates are issued by Government. By producing the certificate people of these categories get special advantage from Government of India.

References

  • Ahuja, R. (1987). Crimes against women. Jaipur, India: Rawat Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. General Learning Press.

  • Baydoun, H. A. (2009). Intimate partner violence, employment and social support among women seeking elective abortion services in lowa. .Retrieved from http://ir.uiowa.edu/edt/335

  • Bui, H., & Morash, M. (1999). Domestic violence in the Vietnamese immigrant community: An exploratory study. Violence Against Women, 5, 769–795.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caetano, R., Schafer, J., & Cunradi, C. B. (2001). Alcohol-related intimate partner violence among white, black, and Hispanic couples in the United States. Alcohol Research and Health, 25(1), 58–65.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, J.C. (1992). Prevention of wife battering:Insights from cultural analysis. Response, 14,18–24.

  • Campbell, J., Jones, A. S., Dienemann, J., Kub, J., Schollenberger, J., O’Campo, P., Gielen, A. C., & Wynne, C. (2002). Intimate partner violence and physical health consequences. Archives of Internal Medicine, 16(10), 1157–1163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chaudhary, J. N. (1988). Divorce in Indian society: A sociological study of marriage disruption and role adjustment. Jaipur: Printwell Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crime in India. (2006). National Crime Records Bureau. Ministry of Home Affairs. India. Retrieved from http://ncrb.nic.in.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crowne, S. S., Juon, H. S., Ensminger, M., Burrell, L., McFarlane, E., & Duggan, A. (2011). Concurrent and long-term impact of intimate partner violence on employment stability. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 26(6), 1282–1304.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dobash, R. E., & Dobash, R. (1979). Violence against wives: A case against the patriarchy. New York, NY: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Faludi, S. (1991). Backlash: The undeclared war against American women. New York: Doubleday.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farmer, A., & Tiefenthaler, J. (1997). An economic analysis of domestic violence. Review of Social Economy, 55(3), 337–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friedman, H. W., & Schustack, M. W. (2011). Personality: Classics theories and modern research (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giddens, A. (1993). Sociology. Cambridge: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • González-Brenes, M. (2004). Domestic violence and household decision- making: Evidence from East Africa. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved from www.polisci.ucla.eddo/wgape/papers/7Gonzalez.pdf.

  • Goode, W. J. (1971). Force and violence in the family. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 33, 624–636.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hampton, R.L. & Gelles, R. J. (1994). Violence toward African American women in a nationally representative sample of African American families. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 25, 105–119.

  • Hindin, M. J., & Adair, L. S. (2002). Who’s at risk? Factors associated with intimate partner violence in the Philippines. Social Science & Medicine, 55(8), 1385–1399.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hornung, C. A., McCullough, B. C., & Sugimoto, T. (1981). Status relationships in marriage: Risk factors in spouse abuse. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 43, 675–692.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kjersti, A., Bente, E. M., & Valborg, B. (2009). Employment, experiences of intimate partner violence, and health related quality of life. Journal of Psychology and Counseling, 1(4), 060–063.

    Google Scholar 

  • Likhi, D. (2009). Status of working women in India. merinews. Retrieved from www.merinews.com/.../status...working-women-in-india/15772209.s.

  • Macmillan, R., & Gartner, R. (1999). When she brings home the bacon: Labour-force participation and the risk of spousal violence against women. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 61(4), 947–958.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Makars, M. (1998). Domestic violence:Why the Florida legislature must do more to protect the silent victims. Florida Bar Journal, 72(10), 13–20.

  • Matud, M. P. (2005). The psychological impact of domestic violence on Spanish women. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 35(11), 2310–2322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McClosky, L. A. (1996). Socioeconomic and coercive power within family. Gender and Society, 10(4), 449–463.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McFarlane, J., Malecha, A., Gist, J., Schultz, P., Willson, P., & Fredland, N. (2000). Indicators of intimate partner violence in women’s employment: Implications for workplace action. American association of occupational health nurses journal (AAOHN J), 48(5), 215–220.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mehotra, M. (1999). The social construction of wife abuse: Experiences of Asian Indian women in the United States. Violence Against Women, 5, 619–640.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Millet, K. (1971). Sexual politics. New York: Avon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Molm, L. (1990). Structure, action and outcomes: The dynamics of power in social exchange. American Sociological Review, 55, 427–447.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Narayan, U. (1995). “mail-order brides”: Immigrant women, domestic violence and immigration law. Hypatia, 10, 104–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NDTV (2012, April 17). Woman allegedly strangled to death by husband for giving birth to girl. Retrieved from http://www.ndtv.com/amritsar-news/ woman-allegedly-strangled-to-death-by- husband-for-giving- birth-to-girl-476977.

  • O’Leary, K. D. (1988). Physical aggression between spouses: A social learning theory perspective. In V. B. Van Hasselt, R. L. Morrison, A. S. Bellak, & M. Hersen (Eds.), Handbook of family violence (pp. 31–56). New York: Plenum Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Panda, P., & Agarwal, B. (2005). Marital violence, human development and women’s property status in India. Institute of Economic Growth. University of Delhi Enclave. Working Paper Series No. E/256/2005.

  • Parker, G., & Lee, C. (2002a). Violence and abuse: An assessment of mid-aged Australian women’s experiences. Australian Psychologist, 37(2), 142–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plichta, S. B., & Abraham, C. (1996). Violence and gynecologic health in women <50 years old. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 174(3), 903–907.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Plumwood, V. (1993). Feminism an the mastery of nature. New York: Routledge.

  • Press Trust of India (2009). Working women face more domestic violence in India: Study. The Hindu, Washington. www.thehindu.com/news/national/article 40166.ece?homep = true.

  • Rahamatian, A. A. (2009). Breaking down the social learning of domestic violence. Iranian Journal of psychiatry and behavioral sciences (IJPBS), 3(1), 62–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rajan, V.G. J. (1996). Will India's ban on prenatal sex determination slow abortion of girls? Hinduism Today, April.

  • Rao, V. (1998). Domestic violence and intra-household resource allocation in rural India: An exercise in participatory econometrics, In M.Krishnaraj, R.Sudarshan and A.Sharif (eds.), Gender, Population, and Development (Chapter 5, pp 1–31). Oxford and Delhi: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowe, W. S., FakihSutan, N., & Dulka, I. M. (2006). A study of domestic violence against academic working wives in Medan. International Social Work, 49(1), 41–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roy, A. (2003). Violence against women. New Delhi, India: Rajat Publication.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorenson, S. B. (1996). Violence against women: Examining ethnic differences and commonalities. Evaluation Review, 20, 123–145.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Speiglman, R., Fujiwara, L., Norris, J., & Green, R. S. (1999). Alameda county CalWORKs needs assessment: A look at potential health-related barriers to self-sufficiency. Berkeley. CA: Public Health Institute Retrieved from www.phi.org.

    Google Scholar 

  • Straus, M. A. (2006). Future research on gender symmetry in physical assaults on partners. Violence Against Women, 12, 1086–1097.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Straus, M., Gelles, R., & Steinmetz, S. (1980). Behind closed doors: Violence in the American family. Garden City. NY: Anchor Press/Doubleday.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sugarman, D. B., & Frankel, S. L. (1996). Patriarchal ideology and wife-assault: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Family Violence, 11, 13–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tauchen, H. V., Witte, A. D., & Long, S. K. (1991). Domestic violence: A non-random affair. International Economic Review, 32(2), 491–511.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • The Hindu (2009). Working women face more domestic violence in India: Study. Retrieved from www.thehindu.com/...women...violence-in-india-study/article40166.

  • Watts C. (2006). Contested development? Intimate partner violence and women’s employment in urban and rural Tanzania. Gender Violence and Health Centre, Retrieved from genderviolence.lshtm.ac.uk/files/2009/.../GVHC-Project-Portfolio.pdf.

  • West, C. M. (1998). Lifting the “political gag order”: Breaking the silence around partner violence in ethnic minority families. In J. L. Jasinski & L. M. Williams (Eds.), Partner violence: A comprehensive review of 20 years of research (pp. 184–209). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Westhead, R. (2010). Women who gave birth at 70 sparks motherhood debate. thestar.com WORLD. Retrieved from http://www.thestar.com/news/world /2010/11/06/women_ who_gave_birth_at_70_sparks_motherhood_debate.html.

  • Yick, A. G. (2001). Feminist theory and status inconsistency theory: Application to domestic violence in Chinese immigrant families. Violence Against Women, 7, 545–562.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yick, G. A., & Ahbayani-Siewert, P. (1997). Perceptions of domestic violence in a Chinese American community. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 12, 832–846.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshihama, M. (1999). Domestic violence against women of Japanese descent in Los Angeles: Two methods of estimating prevalence. Violence Against Women, 5, 869–897.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshihama, M. (2002b). Breaking the web of abuse and silence: Voices of battered women in Japan. Social Work, 47, 389–400.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Economic Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203, B.T. Road, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700108, India

    Chaiti Sharma Biswas

Authors
  1. Chaiti Sharma Biswas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chaiti Sharma Biswas.

Appendix

Appendix

All the study variables are recoded as follows:

Religion: 1. Hindu, 2. Muslim & 3. Others

Religion (multiple regression): 1. Non Muslim, 2. Muslim

Caste: 1. Scheduled caste, 2. Scheduled tribe, 3. OBC* & 4. General

Media: 1. No exposure, 2. Have exposure

Household Structure: 1. Nuclear, 2. Non-Nuclear

Wealth Index: 1. Low, 2 Medium & 3. High

Marital duration (in years): 1. 0–5, 2. 6–12 & 3. 13–37

Respondent’s age at marriage (in years): 1. 2–14, 2. 15–26 & 3. 27–45

Education of wife & her partner: 1. Illiterate & low, 2. Medium & 3. Higher

Occupation of wife & her partner: 1. Low, 2. Medium & 3. High

Job category: 1.Unemployed, 2. Agricultural Employee, 3. Skilled/unskilled manual labour, 4.Service Worker, 5. Clerical workers & 6. Professional, Technical & Managerial workers

Wife’s earning: 1. Husband won’t bring money, 2. Almost half & 3. More than husband

Autonomy: 1. Low, 2. Medium, & 3. High

Number of Children: 1. No children, 2. 1–5 children, 3. More than 5 children

Husband Alcoholic: 1. No, 2.Yes

Have Other Wife: 1. No, 2. Yes

Illness of wife: 1. No, 2. Yes

  1. *Means other backward classes

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Biswas, C.S. Spousal Violence against Working Women in India. J Fam Viol 32, 55–67 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-016-9889-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-016-9889-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation