Last updated:November 16, 2024, 12:03 PM IST

More than 30 percent of men and women agree that a man is justified in hitting or beating his wife if she shows disrespect to her in-laws—highest among the categories

More than 80 out of 100 women in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana agree that a husband is justified in hitting or hitting his wife for at least one specified reason. (Getty)

In India, out of every 100 women, at least 45 agree that a man is justified in hitting or hitting his wife for various reasons, official data shows. On the other hand, 44 out of 100 men believe that domestic violence is justified under similar circumstances.

According to the National Family Health Survey-5 (NHFS-5), there are seven categories in which both sexes were asked whether wife beating is justified. More than 30 percent of men and women agree that a man is justified in hitting or beating his wife if she shows disrespect to her in-laws – the highest among the categories.

The category in which men and women least agree that a man is justified in hitting or beating his wife is if she refuses to have sex with him – less than 11 percent in both sexes.

The seven categories were: going out without telling him; neglects the house or children; arguing with him; refuses to have sexual intercourse with him; does not cook properly; he suspects that she is unfaithful; and she shows disrespect to in-laws.

Respondents were asked whether they agree that a husband is justified in hitting or hitting his wife in each of the following seven circumstances. Respondents who answer “yes” in at least one circumstance are considered to have attitudes that justify wife beating, according to the report.

More than one lakh women and almost the same number of men were asked these questions in different categories.

Andhra Pradesh, Telangana at the top

More than 80 out of 100 women in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana agree that a husband is justified in hitting or hitting his wife for at least one specified reason.

Among men, Karnataka (82 percent) and Telangana (70 percent) had the highest rates justifying wife abuse.

Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (DNHDD) were the only ones in India where less than 10 percent women justified wife abuse. But in UT, nearly 20 out of 100 men feel that beating wives is justified.

There is wide variation between states in women’s and men’s compliance with wife abuse. For women, the agreement with at least one reason for frustration is the lowest, nine percent in DNHDD and 14 percent in Chandigarh. The corresponding range for men is from nine percent in Chandigarh to 82 percent in Karnataka.

There are 15 states and union territories across India where more husbands feel justified in wife beating for the seven reasons shown in the graphic. In 21 states, it is the women who have a higher share in justifying violence against wives.

Over the years, the attitude towards wife abuse has changed. But between 2015-16 and 2019-21, the same in men has increased by two percentage points, as shown in the graphic.

Agreement with wife abuse tends to increase with age for women but decreases somewhat with age for men. For both women and men, agreement with wife abuse is lower in urban than rural areas and tends to decrease with education and wealth.

Agreement decreases from 53 percent among women and 51 percent among men with less than five years of schooling to 38 percent among women and 39 percent among men with 12 or more years of schooling, as shown in the graphic.

According to the report, an important indicator of women’s empowerment is the rejection of norms that underlie and reinforce gender inequality. One such gender norm is the “right” of men to control their wives in various ways, including through violence.

“Rejecting such norms means greater equality. Forty-five percent of women and 44 percent of men believe that a man is justified in beating his wife in at least one of seven specified circumstances,” the report states.