Page 130 - IJPS-7-1

Polygyny and spousal violence in India

Table 4. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios showing the effect of polygyny on spousal violence by region, India, 2019 – 2021.
Region Physical violence Sexual violence Emotional violence Any violence
Unadjusted Adjusted Unadjusted Adjusted Unadjusted Adjusted Unadjusted Adjusted
India 1.87 1.36 2.17 1.36 2.18 1.47 1.93 1.39
(1.63, (1.17, (1.74, (1.07, (1.87, (1.23, (1.69, (1.19,
2.14)*** 1.58)*** 2.70)*** 1.74)* 2.55)*** 1.76)*** 2.19)*** 1.61)***
North 2.58 1.69 1.04 0.54 1.90 0.95 2.63 1.80
(1.44, (0.85, 3.35) (0.25, 4.25) (0.12, (0.90, 4.01) (0.40, 2.24) (1.52, (0.94, 3.50)
4.64)** 2.32) 4.52)***
South 2.28 1.50 2.95 1.62 2.67 1.64 2.26 1.45
(1.75, (1.10, 2.05)* (1.94, (0.99, (1.99, (1.14, (1.74, (1.06, 1.99)*
2.98)*** 4.50)*** 2.63) 3.58)*** 2.25)*** 2.95)***
East 1.47 1.09 2.43 1.68 1.92 1.34 1.67 1.25
(1.10, (0.79, 1.50) (1.62, (1.07, (1.37, (0.91, 1.96) (1.27, (0.92, 1.71)
1.96)** 3.64)*** 2.65)* 2.71)*** 2.21)***
West 2.77 2.13 2.95 2.38 2.23 1.68 2.73 2.20
(1.61, (1.14, 3.97)* (1.25, 6.95)* (0.90, (1.15, 4.33)* (0.77, 3.66) (1.61, (1.19, 4.90)*
4.77)*** 6.20) 4.64)***
Central 1.41 1.24 1.16 0.87 1.87 1.55 1.32 1.12
(1.04, 1.92) (0.88, 1.74) (0.63, 2.14) (0.44, (1.29, (1.01, 2.38)* (0.97, 1.78) (0.79, 1.57)
1.76) 2.71)**
North-east 1.81 1.41 1.86 1.23 2.19 1.46 1.94 1.47
(1.36, (1.02, 1.94)* (1.15, 2.99)* (0.73, (1.50, (0.99, 2.14)* (1.49, (1.08, 2.00)*
2.41)*** 2.07) 3.07)*** 2.53)***
Note: Unadjusted model examining the independent association of polygyny and spousal violence; Adjusted model for the variables listed in Table 2
and 3; and 95% confidence intervals in brackets. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001

from polygynous unions experienced more violence than those in non-polygynous ones. Similar to several previous studies,
this study also found that lack of formal education was significantly associated with greater spousal violence. The present
study observed that women who had two or more children were more likely to be victims of spousal violence and this was
higher in polygynous unions compared to non-polygynous ones. The positive association between spousal violence and
the number of children had also been observed earlier by others (Garg et al., 2021; Solanke et al., 2018; Weitzman, 2014).
In addition, women who were relatively older than their husbands, or in cases where the age gap between the spouses was
less, faced a higher risk of spousal violence. This finding is in order with other studies from different contexts. Several
individual and multi-country studies have reported that the lower age difference between the spouses works as a risk factor
for different forms of spousal violence (Abramsky et al., 2011; Hindin et al., 2008; Jewkes et al., 2002; Kishor & Johnson,
2004; Otieno, 2017; Pandey et al., 2009). Our analysis indicates a significant negative association between women’s
participation in decision-making in the household and violence against them in both polygynous and non-polygynous
unions. This result is in line with the finding of a study in Myanmar, where it was observed which found that women’s
decision-making power had a negative effect on domestic violence (Kabir et al., 2019). Similarly, Ebrahim & Atteraya
(2019) observed that women who made decisions jointly with their spouses in Ethiopia faced a lower risk of domestic
violence than those with lower levels of family decision-making autonomy. Women’s participation in household decision
making indicates an increased interaction and cordial relationship between spouses. As the patriarchal power and control
are the basis for the continuation of spousal violence, an increased participation of woman in household decision making
helps her to negotiate the allocation of household resources for the benefit of all household members. Several studies
have highlighted involvement of women in household decision making in reducing the spousal violence in different
contexts (Jewkes et al., 2002; Svec & Andic, 2018). This study also revealed that justification for wife beating was higher
in polygynous unions than in non-polygynous ones. Similar results were also observed in seven sub-Saharan African
countries (Rani et al., 2004). The study observed a positive association between the controlling behavior of husbands and
marital violence, and it was higher in polygynous than in non-polygynous unions. A similar finding was reported in other
studies as well (Antai, 2011). Husbands’ alcohol consumption had been associated with spousal violence against women
in India (Wagman et al., 2018). While our findings reiterated the same, it, further, highlighted that higher proportion
women with alcoholic husbands in polygynous unions faced violence compared to their counterparts in non-polygynous
unions. The unadjusted effect of polygyny was found to be significantly higher with spousal violence in all the six regions

124 International Journal of Population Studies | 2021, Volume 7, Issue 1