Keywords
Violence
Intimate Partner
How to Cite
Abstract
Polygyny has been deemed a “harmful cultural practice” because of its injurious effects on women, including violence. Most research on this topic has been conducted in Africa where polygyny is relatively common. However, 1.4 percent of marriages in India are polygynous, and because polygyny is not considered a normative Indian custom, little research on violence in these marriages has been conducted. The present study explored the association between polygyny and violence in India and found that women in polygynous marriages are just over two times more likely to experience IPV than other women. In addition, IPV occurs in polygynous marriages independently of other factors associated with gendered violence in relationships. The study concludes that polygyny itself presents as a cause of violence. Conceptualizing polygyny solely as an element of culture limits our ability to see the power differentials inherent in polygyny and to observe the means in which this marital form contributes to gender inequality
References
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