Impact of Women’s Property Ownership on Intimate Partner Violence and Perceptions of being in Abusive Relationship in India

Charu Jain, National Council of Applied Economic Research, India
Karan Raj, National Council of Applied Economic Research
Viha Dwivedi, Westminster Kingsway College

Globally, one-third of women have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime. Apart from factors such as low education or lower paid jobs, a growing body of evidence shows a correlation between gender-based violence (GBV) and land rights, particularly in low-income, agriculture-based economies. Although, half of the world’s population is women, yet they own less than 20 per cent of the world’s land, causing economic and social vulnerability, thereby forcing women to remain in violent relationships. Since the correlation between GBV and women’s land rights is highly variable and culture-dependent, more research is required to understand its dimensions and implications for socio-economic development. In this context, using the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) data for the latest round 2019-21 for India, This paper investigates the relationship between property ownership and intimate partner violence (IPV) using a probit regression model with state fixed effects and a range of socio-economic controls. Our findings indicate that house ownership by women is associated with a statistically significant reduction in IPV, suggesting that homeownership may serve as a protective factor. In contrast, land ownership shows a positive association with IPV, which may reflect the complexities of land rights and power dynamics within households.

Keywords: Gender Dynamics, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination, Data and Methods, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

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