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Nationally, more than a third of women report some form of domestic violence in India. This study set in a Mumbai slum shows that structural violence contributes to domestic violence and also systematically disadvantages women by forcing them to drop out of school, reduces labour force participation and prevents women from leaving abusive marriages...
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... Despite the National Development Plan setting a goal of reducing inequality by 2030, South Africa still holds the unenviable position of being one of the most unequal countries in the world (Alvaredo et al., 2018;Manana, 2019;Statistics South Africa, 2020). The intersection between poverty and gender-based violence is well documented in the literature (Slabbert, 2017;Ghosh, 2015;Leung, 2014). Due to the inequality conundrum placed on women, those within the poverty realm greatly depend on their partners. ...
Gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) is a multifaceted complex phenomenon that needs urgent comprehensive attention in South Africa and other similarly or worse-off affected countries. Central to combating and eliminating GBVF starts with a systematic understanding of the drivers of GBVF. The research aims to develop a conceptual framework of drivers of gender-based violence and femicide, which can be applied to different GVBF improvement studies. The conceptual framework was developed using ecological system theory having 20 indicators relating to: microsystem – personal history and individual factors; mesosystem – interpersonal relationships; exosystem – community factors; macrosystem – societal factors; and chronosystem – significant changes over time. The framework interlinking these GBVF drivers allows for the diagnosis of the main drivers of GBVF and estimates its impact on the victims and their families. This, in turn, can help to combat and eliminate GBVF through moderation with GBVF policies and strategies. This study contributes to systematically demystifying of drivers of GBVF, especially in South Africa and similar African countries.
... 11,12 Slums characterized by such material and social configurations provide scope to understand the phenomenon of domestic violence among women as intertwined with the larger community processes and also in relation to the degree of availability of legitimate resources. 13,14 There are various studies that show the ubiquity of domestic violence in slums in India. The estimates of ever-experienced domestic violence faced by women living in such settings have ranged from 21.2%, 36.9%, ...
Background: Domestic violence is a major human rights violation and public health crisis. Slums offer scope to understand violence as intertwined with specific material and social configurations. The present study aimed to explore the experiences of domestic violence among women and the scope for public health intervention in the context of the realities of a slum.Methods: Qualitative data were collected through narrative interviews of 30 married women residing in a slum in the Indian city of Kolkata using an unstructured interview schedule.Results: A thematic analysis revealed that all the women faced both physical and sexual violence in their day-to-day lives. The trajectories of the violence could be traced through their early marriage, lack of financial autonomy, and absence of control over their bodies. Women reported pain and physical injuries, as well as gynecological health problems due to routine violence. It also took an adverse toll on their mental health. There was a dearth of effective community-based help-seeking resources.Conclusions: The study concludes that there is a need for moving beyond solely a justice system approach to more integrative models of promoting health in addressing the issue of domestic violence.
... Concerning the second issue, that is, the potentially positive outcomes of child marriage for young women and their families, the papers in this special issue offer a compelling addition to existing literature that shows that in many contexts, marrying young may be the better choice. These contexts include those where sexual violence may be common, where a woman's respectability forms a fundamental cornerstone of her future livelihood, where practicing safe(r) sex and planning pregnancies are complex achievements, particularly for unmarried women, and where there are few opportunities to apply formal education in livelihood strategies (see Chattopadhyay, 2015). a marriage may thus offer a young woman-temporary-respite from the precarity and violence she may face as a single young woman. ...
In recent years, the international community has increasingly directed its attention to reducing the prevalence of child marriage, which is defined as marriage before the age of 18. Child marriage has been shown to disproportionately affect young women in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, and to have a range of adverse health impacts, particularly for women. This special issue demonstrates empirically the complexity of drivers of child marriage, contributing to emic understandings of the circumstances in which families and young women consider an early marriage the most secure pathway. The special issue calls for moving beyond girls and families as sites of intervention, and beyond programmatic emphases on individual choice and ‘tradition.’
In this introductory article, we draw attention to the consequences of the exclusive focus on negative consequences of child marriage, arguing that this (a) obscures the complexity of the structural issues driving child marriage, (b) hinders developing understanding of (perceived) positive outcomes of a marriage before the age of 18, such as (short-term) physical and economic security, and (c) forms an impediment to efforts to identify alternatives to child marriage which can produce similarly positive—and more long-term—results. Rather than departing from the premise that certain choices are better than others, we call for research and interventions that seek to understand and respond to the broader context in which choices are made.
... In Nigeria, beating wives and children is (Aihie 2016). "Traumatic bond theory offers explanation on factors that can make women remain in abusive relationship while victim precipitation theory account for the role that victims plays in falling prey to spousal homicide especially men that are killed by their wives" (Ghosh 2015;Olowu et al. 2011). Olowu et al. (2011) found most events leading to the death of a spouse were accidental, rather than premeditated. ...
This chapter aims to tackle the topic of intimate partner killings (IPK) and provide a comprehensive overview of the literature and research up to date. We will also be looking at many variables that have been discussed throughout different forms of literature and linking them together. Several of these variables include the timelines, national databases available, partner types, relationship types, relationship status, age discrepancies, location most likely to occur, and type of weapons used. Lastly, we will look at corollary victims, demographic data, motivation for killings, personality traits, neurological factors, evolutionary factors, and previous history data for intimate partner violence.
... Despite this increase, as per the report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development as of 2017, in comparison to global divorce rates, India continues to have a lower divorce rate of 1% or 13 in 1000 marriages. The reasons for unstable marriage include many but the prominent ones to be named are domestic violence, real or perceived excessive influence from in-laws or a women's natal family (Ghosh, 2015;Grover, 2009;Mand, 2008), many of which have majorly become evident because of the current COVID-19 pandemic crisis. By the time of writing this article, it has been observed by the authors that the negative influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on India is largely unmeasured and indirect; an impact due to uncertainty, health anxiety, quarantine, isolation, separation or lockdown on psychological well-being are equally devastating (if not more), than the direct consequences of the corona virus on physical health. ...
Marriage is a universally accepted institution despite the diversity of cultures, religions, and geographical variations. Any crisis that affects mankind invariably can have direct and indirect effects on marriage across the globe. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic seems no different and its effect on marriages is palpable with anticipation of complications related to marital problems even after the pandemic ends. On the other hand, a strong marriage can be major psychological support especially during these times of uncertainty and can contribute to the emotional well-being of both individuals as well as the family. Hence, this brief narrative explores the vulnerabilities of couples, factors contributing to marital distress, and possible solutions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic with an Indian perspective.
... In a country, where women have no economic assets and lower work participation rate, staying in marriage seems the only option available for ensuring social and economic security. Ghosh 76 The conservative neoliberal society has failed to imagine possibilities for women who exist independently outside the institution of marriage. In societies ridden with patriarchy, casteism, feudalism and other such hierarchies, the neoliberal world order is further fueling divide and is intensifying hierarchies 78 . ...
This chapter concludes that despite of the criminal and civil law provisions relating to domestic violence, women are compelled to struggle in their daily lives. Law could not imagine the situations outside the paradox of the family nor the free market approach has offered alternatives to lead a dignified life. Trapped in the maze of legal technicalities and the complexities of market norms, women are facing increasing vulnerabilities, where the state has refused to bail them out in any manner. It is recommended that law relating to division of marital property be re-examined and the provisions of social security and the welfare measures be strengthened.
... In a poignant sentiment that reveals the interplay between structural violence and sexual violence, R told Dr. G that leaving her husband was not an option, because "being raped by one man is better than being raped by many". R felt unsafe living in the settlement and felt 540 that her husband provided "symbolic protection" by allowing her the respectful status of a married woman, a belief also shared by women living in similar environments, reported by other studies (Ghosh, 2015). ...
... However, very little of this money has been 610 used for intervention programs for sexual violence, though several OSCs have been set up using this fund. Reports by journalistic accounts and organizations such as CBGA's review of OSCs in the National Capital Region suggest that many of these centers are inadequate (Bajoria, 2017;Ghosh, 2016 ;Human Rights Watch, 2017). They have poor signage, a shortage or absence of female 615 staff and/or staff trained in handling cases of sexual violence or even basic gender training, an absence of specialists such as gynecologists and inadequate counseling and referral services. ...
Marital sexual violence is a serious problem in India. However, marital rape and most other forms of marital sexual violence are not criminalized in the country. This qualitative study with 10 healthcare providers (physicians and nurses), lawyers, members of a non-profit organization that offers domestic violence support services out of a hospital, a journalist and two lawyers suggest that the majority of care providers recognize that marital sexual violence is a serious concern, and agree that health systems can play a vital role in addressing both the immediate biomedical concerns of survivors, and also overall well-being. The study reveals that several systemic and internal factors hinder the responsiveness of Indian health institutions. These include, the absence of a protocol or uniform internal guidelines in most hospitals, a lack of screening programs to capture the
presence of violence occurring when patients for other reasons visit the hospital,
a large patient load, a lack of gender sensitivity in providers’ education, an absence of domestic violence shelters, and poor interlinkages between support services such as counseling and legal services. Notwithstanding these challenges, some exemplary
physicians and nurses assist survivors of sexual violence, sometimes risking their own safety. The Indian health system can be made more responsive, provided these factors are addressed, and crucially budgets are allocated for interventions.
... Results showed that, in Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil, pregnancy did not protect a woman from suffering domestic violence. Ghosh( 2015) examined The Political Economy of Domestic Violence in a Mumbai Slum. This paper studied the structural violence contributes to domestic violence and also systematically disadvantages women by forcing them to drop out of school, reduces labour force participation and prevents women from leaving abusive marriages. ...
The present study examined the association between the extent of time spent on social
networking sites (SNS) by spouse and quality of marital life, in a sample of 150 young couples, using
the conceptual frame work of Jane Lanigan’ssociotechnological family model.Three tools were
used, a structured questionnaires with two parts- section A: questionnaire for demographic variable ,
and section B: questionnaire for assessing the time spent on SNS by spouse, a likert scale for assessing
partner perception of SNS use by spouse and a rating scales (marital quality scale by Dr. Shah ,1995)
for assessing quality of marital life. Pilot study was conducted and study was found to be feasible.
Majority of the study participants were using more than one SNS. As per the findings, Facebook
and Watsappranked first, followed by Twitter and LinkedIn, among the different SNS used by study
participants, Majority of the study participants were having a positive perception regarding the
SNS usage of their spouses.Very few holds negative perception. Majority of the participants said
that their spouse often spent quality time with children even though they spent too much time in
SNS. Almost one fourth of the study participants spent one to two hours each day on online SNS.
Most of the participants spent more than 2 hours on SNS. The good quality of marital life of study
participants holds a downtrend with increasing duration of time spent on SNS by spouse. Most of
the study participants have poor quality of marital life. There was significant association between
the time spent on SNS and quality of marital life. The increasing usage of online SNS by spouse is
associated with decreasing quality of marital life. There were significant association between quality
of marital life of young couples and gender, occupation of spouse and number of children.
... notes 1 However, the qualitative literature discusses several factors affecting marriage dissolution, including domestic violence, infertility, infi delity, real or perceived excessive interference from in-laws or a woman's natal family (Ghosh 2015;Grover 2009;Mand 2008;Palriwala and Uberoi 2008;Unisa 1999). 2 The international literature uses two alternative defi nitions of the divorce rate. The fi rst, Crude Divorce Rate, is the number of divorces per 1,000 population. ...
Although India's divorce rate is low in cross-national perspective, the separation rate is three times as large as the divorce rate. There is striking variation across states, with marriage dissolution lower in the North compared with the South and North-east, consistent with previous arguments regarding relative female autonomy across regions. Surprisingly, there is very little difference between rural and urban rates of dissolution of marriage across states.
... notes 1 However, the qualitative literature discusses several factors affecting marriage dissolution, including domestic violence, infertility, infi delity, real or perceived excessive interference from in-laws or a woman's natal family (Ghosh 2015;Grover 2009;Mand 2008;Palriwala and Uberoi 2008;Unisa 1999). 2 The international literature uses two alternative defi nitions of the divorce rate. The fi rst, Crude Divorce Rate, is the number of divorces per 1,000 population. ...
Although India's divorce rate is low in cross-national perspective, the separation rate is three times as large as the divorce rate. There is striking variation across states, with marriage dissolution lower in the North compared with the South and North-east, consistent with previous arguments regarding relative female autonomy across regions. Surprisingly, there is very little difference between rural and urban rates of dissolution of marriage across states.
