Married women endure domestic abuse for an average of 9 years: Study

The World Health Organisation estimates that 35 per cent of women across the world have experienced some form of violence, and that the vast majority of such violence was perpetrated by their intimate partners. A study conducted in Mumbai by the Wright State University shows that women endure domestic abuse for an average of nine years in their lives. The study looked into the experiences of domestic violence victims among a sample of 21 low-income Indian women based in Mumbai.

The average age of the participants was 31 years. Out of the 21 participants, 14 were married, five were separated and two were widowed. Fourteen participants said that they were not presently staying with the person who abused them, but the other seven were still living with the abuser at the time of the interview. On average, the participants had been married for 12 years. The average number of years they had endured abuse was nine.

All the participants were married between the ages of 12 and 24 years, with their average age of marriage being 18. The 21 participants were exposed to many types and combinations of physical, psychological, sexual, and/or financial abuse. Forms of abuse included being hit with objects, being belittled for their looks or for not cooking properly, having little or no access to money and forceful sex. Women also talked about their husbands having affairs, getting a second wife (legal or illegal) and demanding money from their families as other types of harassment and abuse. Most women also experienced abuse and neglect during pregnancy.

Intimate partners were not the only ones involved in the abuse. In most cases, the in-laws also abused the women. Participants in the study lived with their in-laws. Differences in daily routines and in cooking and cleaning styles were common causes of conflict between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. The participants described the various ways in which the abuse affected their children. These effects included abuse and/or neglect of the children or the children being used as pawns in their conflicts.

“In general, women are expected to endure violence for long periods of their lives for fear of bringing shame on their families and/or because of a lack of social and financial support independent of her husband,” the study said.