Citation

Krishnan SP. Violence Against Women 2005; 11(6): 759-775.

Affiliation

University of California-San Francisco.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1077801205276078

PMID

16043570

Abstract

Ethnographic research was conducted in rural communities in Karnataka State, South India, to explore the contexts in which marital violence occurs and the relationships between structural inequalities (gender, caste, and class inequalities) and marital violence. Research highlighted that (a) marital violence is intimately linked to experiences of gender, caste, and class inequalities; (b) women's ability to resist violence hinges on access to economic and social resources; and (c) health care providers need to be actively involved in responding to violence. This study demonstrates the urgent need for violence prevention initiatives, particularly those that address the contribution of structural inequalities.