"It's okay for husband to beat…" shocking majority of women think domestic violence is justified [details]

A national survey by the NHFS has shown just how the criminal act of domestic violence is justified to the extent that even women think husbands beating their wives is acceptable.

The nuisance of domestic violence, where husbands feel the right to beat their wives for any reason at all is justified, is prevalent in our society. During the pandemic, complaints of domestic violence sharply rose. But what's more shocking is the approval towards the practice of husbands beating their wives. Now, a survey shows just how women from different states in India think wives subjected to domestic violence at the hands of husbands is justified.

The survey, conducted by the National Family Health Survey between 2019-21, includes responses from women in 18 states. Shockingly, over 30 percent women from 14 of the 18 states and Union Territories who were surveyed think men beating their wives under certain circumstances is justified. In contrast, a lesser percentage of men approved of such behaviour.

For the survey, the NHFS asked if it is justified for husband to hit or beat his wife under various circumstances, which are common reasons of conflict in households. The survey listed seven situations and sought responses from women. They situations are:

If she goes out without telling him
If she neglects the house or the children
If she argues with him
If she refuses to have sex with him
If she doesn't cook food properly
If he suspects her of being unfaithful
If she shows disrespect for in-laws

Husbands beating wives... is okay?

State-wise break-up of the survey showed a shocking majority of women from three southern states of India, Telangana, Andhra and Karnataka, justified men beating their wives. The most common reasons to justify the act were neglecting households or children and showing disrespect to in-laws.

Telangana led the charts with 83.8 percent of the surveyed women saying men are justified to beat their wives, closely followed by Andhra (83.6 percent) and Karnataka (76.9 percent). In these states, even the men shared the same attitude, but slightly lower. For instance, 70.4 percent men approved of the behaviour in Telangana and 66.5 percent in Andhra but Karnataka led with 81.9 percent.

As per the survey, Himachal Pradesh had the lowest population of women to justify beating by husbands at 14.8 percent vs 14.2 percent for men. In the survey, women respondents in 13 out of 18 states cited disrespecting in-laws as the main reason to justify beating. Of all the reasons, being suspected of infidelity is the least justified reason for beating.

"Some men appear to vent their frustration, caused by loss of income and other reasons due to the pandemic, on their family members. There is an increase in the number of calls we received because friction has grown among family members as they stay confined within four walls round-the-clock due to the pandemic," Ushasree, director of 'Roshni', a Hyderabad-based NGO said.