Bihar tops the Indian states in spousal violence.
The national family health survey, whose report was released recently, shocks as it reveals that while 50 per cent of wives endure physical violence, 19 per cent sexual violence, two per cent emotional violence, a disturbing 59 per cent experience both physical and sexual violence.
The national average for violence against married women is just 37 per cent.
Giving some competition to Bihar are Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, both jointly occupying the second place with 46 per cent spousal violence. Manipur comes a close third with 44 per cent, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu (42 per cent), West Bengal and Assam (40 per cent), Arunachal Pradesh (39 per cent) and Orissa (38 per cent).
In Jharkhand, carved out of Bihar, which has a substantial tribal population, only 35 per cent married women are subjected to domestic violence, The figure being less than even the national average.
The survey, commissioned by the Union Health and Family Affairs Ministry, for which the International Institute for Population Sciences acted as the nodal agency and several national and international organisations including USAID, UNFPA, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, NACO etc. Provident funds and technical assistance, covered 3818 women and 1214 men in Bihar between April and July 2006.
The NFHS report for 2005-06 found a direct correlation between illiteracy and violent wife-bashing.
While 64 per cent of married women, who experienced the trauma of physical, sexual and emotional assault, were illiterate, 63 per cent of the male perpetrators had no no education.
The percentage came down where husband was better educate (59 per cent); wife better educated (49 per cent) and both equally educated (48 per cent). The survey revealed that only one per cent of married women in bihar initiated violence agai nst their husbands.
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