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DOWRY, ‘DOWRY AUTONOMY’ AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AMONG YOUNG MARRIED WOMEN IN INDIA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 July 2018

Saseendran Pallikadavath  and
Tamsin Bradley
Saseendran Pallikadavath*
Affiliation:
Portsmouth–Brawijaya Centre for Global Health, Population and Policy, University of Portsmouth, UK, and University of Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
Tamsin Bradley
Affiliation:
International Development Studies, School of Languages and Area Studies, University of Portsmouth, UK
*
1Corresponding author. Email: sasee.pallikadavath@port.ac.uk
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Summary

Dowry practice, women’s autonomy to use dowry (‘dowry autonomy’) and the association of these with domestic violence were examined among young married women in India. Data were taken from the ‘Youth in India: Situation and Needs Study’ carried out in six Indian states during 2006–07. A total of 13,912 women aged 15–24 years were included in the study. About three-quarters of the women reported receiving a dowry at their marriage, and about 66% reported having the ability to exercise autonomy over the use of it – ‘dowry autonomy’. Dowry given without ‘dowry autonomy’ was found to have had no protective value against young women experiencing physical domestic violence in India. While women’s participation in paid employment increased the odds of them experiencing physical domestic violence, women’s education and marrying after the age of 18 years reduced the likelihood of experiencing physical domestic violence.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 51 , Issue 3 , May 2019 , pp. 353 - 373
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press, 2018 

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