Unravelling the Factors of Acceptance of Violence in Marriage by Women: Insights on Deficit of Reporting Cases of Domestic Violence in Empowered Action Group (EAG) and States of South India.

This article examines the paradoxical relationship between women's acceptance of wife beating and measures of women's empowerment and human development in India, focusing on two groups of states: high Human Development Index (HDI) states in South India and lower HDI Empowered Action Group (EAG) states. Using data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), the study finds that women in higher HDI states exhibit greater acceptance of wife beating despite better access to education, employment, and financial resources, whereas women in lower HDI states show lower acceptance. Key factors such as women's literacy negatively correlate with acceptance of wife beating in high HDI states, while employment and freedom of movement show complex associations influenced by entrenched patriarchal norms. The study also highlights that higher acceptance of wife beating among women corresponds with lower reporting of domestic violence cases, indicating that cultural attitudes significantly affect help-seeking behavior and the effectiveness of legal protections. The findings suggest that development and empowerment alone do not reduce acceptance of marital violence without addressing deep-rooted sociocultural norms and gender role conditioning.