THE PROTECTIVE POTENTIAL OF PROPERTY OWNERSHIP: A RURAL-URBAN PERSPECTIVE ON INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AMONG REPRODUCTIVE WOMEN IN INDIA

Riti Deshmukh, Banaras HIndu University
SAKSHI ., Banaras HIndu University
Sabina Bano , Banaras Hindu University

The study examines the link between Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and property ownership, focusing on land and housing among reproductive women aged 15-49. It aims to quantify the impact of socio-economic factors on the disparities between rural and urban women regarding property ownership and IPV experiences. Using data from the fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 60,541 reproductive women from rural and urban India were analyzed. Multivariate Binary Logistic Regression was employed to explore the association between IPV and property ownership, and the Fairlie Model measured the contribution of socio-economic factors to the rural-urban disparity. Property ownership was found to be positively associated with IPV among reproductive women. Decomposition analysis showed that geographic variation accounted for 9% of the rural-urban gap in IPV, followed by religion at 0.78%. Conversely, factors such as women’s household wealth (-80.64%), women's highest level of education (-38%), property ownership (-9.09%), husband’s highest education level (-14.57%), and husband’s alcohol consumption (-12.46%) contribute to narrowing the gap. These findings highlight that the relationship between property ownership and IPV is strongly shaped by regional and cultural factors.

Keywords: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Older Adults and Intergenerational Relations, Health and Morbidity, Families, Unions and Households

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