Decoding the Nexus of Economic Empowerment, Status Inconsistency, and Intimate Partner Violence Among Women in India

Women empowerment has gained increasing recognition as one of the pivotal strategies for addressing many development challenges within the purview of policymakers. The United Nations has also endorsed gender equality and women's empowerment as sustainable development goals. However, the issue regarding the effect of women's empowerment on violence against women remains unresolved. The existing literature argues that women with enhanced economic opportunities can yield greater influence within their familial structures, potentially affording them greater protection against intimate partner violence (IPV). Conversely, the improved economic status of women may disrupt the established power dynamics within male-dominated societies, potentially heightening the IPV. In India, about 29.3% of ever-married women have experienced various forms of violence by their partners, highlighting the severity of the issue. Importantly, IPV not only inflicts physical and psychological harm but also hampers the economic capacity of women to work, earn, and make decisions regarding the health and education of their children, obstructing overall development. This study explores the impact of women's economic empowerment on IPV in India. Utilizing data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) conducted in 2019–2021, our results show that working women are more likely to experience IPV than their counterparts. However, it has been found that a woman's decision-making power in spending her own and her husband's money is a significant factor in decreasing the incidence of IPV. Among working women, if a woman earns more than her husband, then there is less probability of experiencing IPV than a woman earning less than her husband. Further, women working in high-paying jobs are less susceptible to IPV. Simply providing an opportunity to work may not be helpful in reducing the vulnerability of women; rather, holistic empowerment through empowering the decision-making power and employment in a high-paid job may be the right way.