BHUBANESWAR: As many as 59.2 per cent women and 40.8 per cent men in Odisha agree that wife-beating is justified for at least one of the specific reasons that include disrespect to in-laws, argument with husband, going out without informing in-laws, neglecting house and children, not cooking properly, refusing to have sex and husband suspecting her of being unfaithful.
The latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data show that 52.1 per cent women feel a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife if she disrespects her in-laws while 32.6 per cent women are in favour of wife-beating if she argues with her husband.Although urban and educated persons are less likely to agree with wife-beating, the characteristics are not sufficient to supplant beliefs in gender equality norms.
About 46 pc educated women, 63 pc working women, 57.4 pc unemployed women and 64.3 pc illiterate women support it. According to NFHS-4, even as 12 pc married women feel wife-beating is justified if she refuses to have sex with him, only six pc men think so. But 85 pc men do not favour any kind of violence or resistance if wife refuses to have sex with her husband, which is a positive indicator in comparison to other States.Surprisingly, the specific attitude towards wife-beating has hardly seen any major shift in the past one decade as NFHS-3 conducted in 2005-06 indicated that 61.2 pc women and 41.6 pc men supported wife-beating.
The survey was conducted by Mumbai-based International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS). An IIPS researcher Dr Manas Pradhan said the figures are worrisome since three-fifth of women support wife-beating for obvious reasons.
“The data show how women in the State perceive their gender role in the society. Though some of the reasons should not be justified, women are favouring means they are socialised in such ways that they believe these are normal. It is a reflection of our existing perceived gender role,” he pointed out.
The family survey also found that 34.8 pc women in the State are subjected to physical or sexual violence. While 87.8 pc husbands are responsible for committing physical violence on their wives, 98 pc husbands have committed sexual violence. The data shows about three pc women have experienced violence during pregnancy and it is more prevalent in rural areas.
Dr Pradhan said these figures underline the need for undertaking both legal and social reforms to deal with the menace of sexual violence by husbands against their wives. Regular awareness and required legal reforms by the Government would definitely help reduce it, he added.