An assessment of the association between asset ownership and intimate partner violence in Pakistan

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the association between women's reports of asset ownership (home and land) and experience of three types of intimate partner violence (IPV): physical violence, emotional violence, and husbands' controlling behaviors.

STUDY DESIGN

Population-based secondary analysis.

METHOD

This cross-sectional study used data from a sub-sample of 658 women from the nationally representative Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2012-13. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the association between asset ownership and IPV.

RESULTS

Results from logistic regressions indicated that when women owned assets their husbands were 2.3 times more likely to use controlling tactics (P < 0.001) which was mitigated only when women had a say in household decisions. Physical or emotional violence, however, was not significantly associated with women's asset ownership.

CONCLUSION

The study findings highlight the importance of culture and context in policy implementation.

Men's response to their wives' participation in microfinance: perpetration and justification of intimate partner violence in Bangladesh

OBJECTIVE

The present study adds to extant literature on the association between microfinance participation and intimate partner violence (IPV) by assessing a national sample of men married to microfinance participants. The key objective was to assess whether there was a positive association between wives' microfinance participation and men's perpetration and justification of IPV in urban areas of Bangladesh.

STUDY DESIGN

This study is based on a population-based secondary data analysis.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, data from a national sample of men from the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey were analysed using logistic regression analyses. IPV perpetration was measured using a modified Conflict Tactics Scale and justification of IPV was measured based on 'justification of wife beating' statements with which men agreed or disagreed.

RESULTS

Men married to microfinance participants were not significantly different from men married to non-participants of microfinance in terms of IPV perpetration in both urban and rural areas. However, the interaction effect of wives' microfinance participation and urban living on men's justification of IPV revealed a significant and positive beta coefficient. Specifically, wives' participation in microfinance was positively associated with men's justification of IPV in urban areas (β = 0.51, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Microfinance organizations in urban areas should bundle microfinancial services with IPV screening and intervention geared toward men and women.