About 45% of married women have experienced marital violence, the second highest share in the country after Karnataka
About 45% of married women have experienced marital violence, the second highest share in the country after Karnataka
Results for National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-20) has revealed the harsh truth about domestic violence against women and their tacit response to it. Nearly 80% of women in Tamil Nadu said that they refused to have sex if their husbands argued with them, and it was “justified” to *beat* their husbands for similar reasons. As a result, around 45% of married women have experienced marital violence, the second highest share in the country after Karnataka. In contrast, only 50% of men in Tamil Nadu felt that it was appropriate to physically abuse their wives. Tamil Nadu women’s acceptance of domestic violence stems from the fact that 48% of them had witnessed their father beating their mother – the highest such share of all states. With their husbands’ behavior being normal, more than 80% of women in Tamil Nadu neither sought help nor talked about the violence they faced. And even among the few who sought help, the majority informed their relatives about their plight and not the authorities concerned. Husbands’ drinking patterns played a significant role in the degree of violence. The more he consumed alcohol, the more was the domestic abuse.
women justifying abuse
The chart shows the percentage of women who agreed that it was appropriate for a husband to kill his wife. With 79.8% of women justifying domestic violence, Tamil Nadu ranks third among all states in the NFHS-5, behind Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Chart appears to be incomplete? Click To remove amp mode
men justify abuse
The chart shows the % of men who said it was *right* for a husband to kill his wife. About 52.8% of men in Tamil Nadu justified domestic violence – a 27% mark difference compared to women. Such a big difference of opinion only TN . was present in
experience of violence
The chart shows the percentage of married women who have experienced physical or sexual violence. TN ranks second among states in the NFHS-5, with 44.7% of women experiencing domestic violence.
family history
The chart shows the percentage of married women who have seen their father beating their mother. 48% of TN women saw their father beating their mother, the state ranked highest.
drinking problem
The chart shows the % of men consuming alcohol in different states. Tamil Nadu, where 32.8% of men consume alcohol, ranks 11th among the states.
more drinking, more violence
The chart shows the difference in the percentage of women in Tamil Nadu who experienced domestic violence according to their husband’s level of alcohol consumption. For example, 81% of women experienced violence in homes where their husbands frequently drank alcohol. When the husband never drank, this figure dropped to 28.5%.
not asking for help
The chart shows the percentage of women who neither informed nor sought help from anyone after being a victim of domestic violence. 81.1% of women did not ask for help, Tamil Nadu ranks highest in the country.
a family secret
Among those who sought help after being a victim of domestic violence, the chart shows the percentage of women who did so only in their own family. About 81.6% of women seeking help in TN did so within their families.
*% of people agree that it’s fair to beat/hit his wife if she goes out without telling her, argues with her if she neglects the house or kids, if she refuses to have sex with her given, if he did not cook properly, if he suspected her of being unfaithful, or if he had disrespected the in-laws.
Source: National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-20)
Read also: data | Domestic violence increased in eight states including Karnataka and Maharashtra in 2019-20