Empowerment and Intimate Partner Violence in Pakistan: Results From a Nationally Representative Survey.
Outcomes: Gender‑Based Violence, Women’s Economic Empowerment
View SourceKey Social Norms Take-aways Adherence to patriarchal norms—particularly the justification of wife beating—emerges as the strongest and most consistent predictor of women’s experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Pakistan. These norms reflect deeply embedded societal expectations that legitimize male control and violence, indicating that shifts in social norms are critical for reducing IPV beyond individual-level empowerment gains.
Objectives This study aims to examine how different dimensions of women’s empowerment—specifically household decision-making power, economic decision-making power, and adherence to patriarchal norms—are associated with various forms of intimate partner violence among women in Pakistan.
Methods The study uses quantitative analysis of secondary data from a nationally representative subsample of 658 women drawn from the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (2012–2013). Logistic regression models are employed to assess associations between empowerment-related variables and multiple IPV outcomes, including lifetime IPV, IPV in the past 12 months, emotional violence, and husbands’ controlling behaviors. Social norms are operationalized primarily through measures of adherence to patriarchy, including women’s justification of wife beating, alongside proxies such as decision-making power within households.
Results The findings indicate that adherence to patriarchal norms is the most robust and consistent predictor of IPV across all outcomes. Women who justify wife beating are significantly more likely to report lifetime IPV, recent IPV, emotional violence, and controlling behaviors by husbands. Household and economic decision-making power show mixed associations, with some forms of empowerment linked to increased IPV risk, suggesting potential backlash effects. Higher levels of women’s education are also associated with greater reporting of IPV. Overall, normative acceptance of gender inequality plays a more decisive role than other empowerment indicators.
Conclusions The study concludes that while aspects of women’s empowerment are important, they are insufficient to reduce IPV in contexts where patriarchal norms remain pervasive. Efforts to address IPV must therefore go beyond individual-level empowerment and directly target the broader social and cultural norms that legitimize violence against women.
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