Unpacking the Persistence of Intimate Partner Violence Against Married Women in India: Evidence from 2006, 2016 and 2021 Waves of the National Family Health Survey

Physical intimate partner violence (PIPV) is the most pervasive form of violence against a woman. It has adverse medical, emotional, and economic consequences for the victims and their children. Despite the enactment of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA) in 2005, substantial economic growth, and rising female education levels in India, the prevalence of PIPV has been hovering around 22 percent for the past 15 years. We use descriptive analysis, logistic regression, and decomposition analysis to analyze three rounds of the National Family Health Survey (2005–06, 2015–16, and 2019–21) and identify a set of “pull” and “push” factors that seem to be associated with the stagnation of PIPV. Declining women's excess fertility and husbands' alcohol consumption are associated with a reduction in the prevalence of PIPV. Conversely, an increase in women’s use of contraception appears to be linked with a rise in PIPV prevalence. Our findings suggest that while fewer children may reduce economic pressures and lower PIPV, increasing contraception use may disrupt traditional gender roles, potentially leading to heightened conflict as women assert greater control over reproductive decisions. These findings underscore the importance of complementing family planning initiatives with efforts to raise awareness about equitable decision-making within households and addressing patriarchal resistance to women’s reproductive autonomy.