Marital Violence, Human Development and Women’s Property Status in India

Citation:

Panda, Pradeep, and Bina Agarwal. 2005. “Marital Violence, Human Development and Women’s Property Status in India.” World Development 33 (5): 823–50.

Authors: Pradeep Panda, Bina Agarwal

Abstract:

If development means the expansion of human capabilities, then freedom from domestic violence should be an integral part of any exercise for evaluating developmental progress. This paper focuses on a hitherto unexplored factor underlying women’s risk of marital violence, namely, women’s property status. Many studies have examined the scale and correlates of marital violence, but neglected this dimension. Based on a household survey in Kerala (India), the authors assess the prevalence and correlates of both physical and psychological violence—long term and current. Women owning immovable property (land or a house) are found to face a significantly lower risk of marital violence than propertyless women. This has implications for development policy.

Topics: Development, Domestic Violence, Gender, Women, Rights, Property Rights, Women's Rights Regions: Asia, South Asia Countries: India

Year: 2005