Over 30 percent of women from 14 of the 18 states and Union Territories that were surveyed justify men beating their wives under certain circumstances, while a lesser percentage of men rationalised such behaviour, according to the recent National Family Health Survey (NHFS).
Responses to the question, “In your opinion, is a husband justified in hitting or beating his wife…,” from as many as 18 states and Jammu and Kashmir are telling.
Of the women surveyed, Telangana led with 83.8 per cent of them saying that men are justified to beat their wives; Himachal Pradesh registered the lowest at 14.8 per cent. Among men, Karnataka leads with 81.9 per cent of the respondents saying such behaviour is justified as against 14.2 per cent in Himachal Pradesh.
The survey put forward the probable circumstances under which a husband beats his wife: if he suspects her of being unfaithful; if she disrespects in-laws; if she argues with him; if she refuses to have sex with him; if she goes out without informing him; if she neglects the house or the children; if she doesn’t cook good food. The most common reasons given by the respondents to justify beating were neglecting the house or children and showing disrespect to in-laws.
Of the 18 states, women respondents in 13 — Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Manipur, Gujarat, Nagaland, Goa, Bihar, Karnataka, Assam, Maharashtra, Telangana, Nagaland and West Bengal — cited ‘disrespect to in-laws’ as the main reason to justify beating.
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The lowest population of women that justified beating by husbands was in Himachal Pradesh (14.8 percent). Among men, 81.9 percent of respondents from Karnataka said such behaviour is justified as against 14.2 percent in Himachal Pradesh.
Amita Pitre, lead specialist, Gender Justice: Oxfam India while speaking to news agency PTI said that the organisation while working with women found that harmful gender social norms help justify violence against women and girls.
“All the reasons cited to justify violence on women are a product of these norms: if she neglects the house or children, if she refuses to have sex with the husband, if she doesn’t cook food properly. All these define how women should behave in society,” Pitre was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Pitre highlighted that it is important that women move away from such men if gender-based violence against women has to stop.
(With inputs from agencies)
