Abstract: We empirically examine whether violation of hypergamy - which occurs when the wife's economic status equals or exceeds that of her husband's - causally affects domestic violence using microdata from India. Identifying the causal effect of hypergamy violation on domestic violence, however, is challenging due to unmeasured confounding and reverse causality. To overcome these difficulties, we utilize a nonparametric bounds approach. Relying on fairly weak assumptions, we find strong evidence that violation of hypergamy leads to a significant increase in domestic violence. Further, we provide suggestive evidence that this result arises because violation of hypergamy is likely to undermine patriarchal beliefs and norms about gender roles, and also because it is likely to increase men's likelihood of using domestic violence as an instrument to sabotage their wives' labor market prospects. Our findings suggest that policies that seek to empower women and promote gender equality might paradoxically increase women's exposure to domestic violence.

 

Speaker Profile: Dr. Punarjit Roy Chowdhury is an Assistant Professor of Industrial Economics at the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. He has received his Ph.D. from the Southern Methodist University, United States, in 2017.

 

Patna, 9 September. The Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI) organised a lecture online on Thursday, entitled “Don't Cross the Line: Bounding the Causal Effect of Hypergamy Violation on Domestic Violence in India”. Dr. Punarjit Roy Chowdhury, a faculty at the University of Nottingham, UK, delivered the lecture. Smt. Harjot Kaur Bamhrah, Managing Director at WDC Bihar, chaired the session.

In his lecture, Dr. Roy Chowdhury presented his research findings on whether violation of hypergamy - which occurs when the wife's economic status equals or exceeds that of her husband's - causally affects domestic violence.

Dr Roy Chowdhury’s research shows a very disturbing trend. He says that “violation of hypergamy leads to a significant increase in domestic violence, and this violation is likely to undermine patriarchal beliefs and norms about gender roles, and might increase men's likelihood of using domestic violence as an instrument to sabotage their wives’ labor market prospects.”

In the expert’s opinion, the policies that empower women might paradoxically increase women's exposure to domestic violence.

The lecture was attended by scholars and academics from Patna and other places in the country.