Domestic violence is a serious human rights concern (UN General Assembly, 1993; Heise et al., 1999). Most studies justify it to be one of the most pervasive and prevalent gender-based violence throughout the world. Domestic violence against women in Bhutan, undoubtedly, is becoming a great concern for development policies in the context of accessing women’s status in the society and maximizing Gross National Happiness (GNH) of the Bhutanese people per se. Particularly, there is one thing all human beings agree about: a good family relationship is a basic element of happiness. Alter that element in a way and the state of happiness changes, as the domestic violence globally is demonstrating through consequences such as serious injuries, mental
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This historically intrinsic norm is now seen gradually changing through awareness of the issue and media attention, yet most of the victims still prefer to remain silent. The other concern is women’s lack of understanding that domestic violence is a serious crime rather than husbands right or a matter not to be discussed. Further, this issue has been plagued by limited data and research. Notwithstanding the drawback, the pervasiveness of women's acceptance level of domestic violence in Bhutan is confirmed through some available statistics and reports (National Statistics Bureau, 2010). Findings from 2010 Bhutan Multiple Indicator Survey has indicated women’s stereotype thinking and subservient nature with nearly 69 percent of women accepting that men are justified to beat their wife (National Statistics Bureau, 2010). Also, about 25 percent of all women are estimated to have agreed that the husband has right to batter their partner if refused to have sex. Such high acceptance level suggests and reinforces men’s dominance over women. Thus, there are reasons, although evidence is rarely plenty, to believe that violence against women in its many forms does prevail in Bhutan. Despite the evidence of high acceptance level of violence among women, tests of competing causal theories are relatively scanty unlike other developing countries and western developed …show more content…
Goode argued that violence are resources, much like money or material resources, that may be used by husbands as an ultimate resource to resolve conflicts and to control their partner when they lack other means. Poverty is lack of resources, for example, and women in poor households are generally assumed to be more vulnerable to domestic violence. This is because men with limited or no resources [wealth] will resort to physical violence more easily than men with access to enough resources with which they can control their wives' (Goode, 1997). Although the relationship between poverty and domestic violence is complex, studies elsewhere have found women in poor households or lower wealth Quintiles are more likely to experience domestic violence compared to richer households (Yount and Carrera, 2006). This may be because poor people experience intense economic frustration, stress, and strain (Gelles, 1987), and this should influence domestic violence. More precisely, women are trapped in a cycle of violence. This study examines the effect of women's education, current age, age at first marriage, total children, husband’s extra-marital affairs and poverty on the odds of physical and psychological domestic violence among 10,070 women in Bhutan who were married or currently living with a man. Women's attitude towards domestic violence aids
This historically intrinsic norm is now seen gradually changing through awareness of the issue and media attention, yet most of the victims still prefer to remain silent. The other concern is women’s lack of understanding that domestic violence is a serious crime rather than husbands right or a matter not to be discussed. Further, this issue has been plagued by limited data and research. Notwithstanding the drawback, the pervasiveness of women's acceptance level of domestic violence in Bhutan is confirmed through some available statistics and reports (National Statistics Bureau, 2010). Findings from 2010 Bhutan Multiple Indicator Survey has indicated women’s stereotype thinking and subservient nature with nearly 69 percent of women accepting that men are justified to beat their wife (National Statistics Bureau, 2010). Also, about 25 percent of all women are estimated to have agreed that the husband has right to batter their partner if refused to have sex. Such high acceptance level suggests and reinforces men’s dominance over women. Thus, there are reasons, although evidence is rarely plenty, to believe that violence against women in its many forms does prevail in Bhutan. Despite the evidence of high acceptance level of violence among women, tests of competing causal theories are relatively scanty unlike other developing countries and western developed …show more content…
Goode argued that violence are resources, much like money or material resources, that may be used by husbands as an ultimate resource to resolve conflicts and to control their partner when they lack other means. Poverty is lack of resources, for example, and women in poor households are generally assumed to be more vulnerable to domestic violence. This is because men with limited or no resources [wealth] will resort to physical violence more easily than men with access to enough resources with which they can control their wives' (Goode, 1997). Although the relationship between poverty and domestic violence is complex, studies elsewhere have found women in poor households or lower wealth Quintiles are more likely to experience domestic violence compared to richer households (Yount and Carrera, 2006). This may be because poor people experience intense economic frustration, stress, and strain (Gelles, 1987), and this should influence domestic violence. More precisely, women are trapped in a cycle of violence. This study examines the effect of women's education, current age, age at first marriage, total children, husband’s extra-marital affairs and poverty on the odds of physical and psychological domestic violence among 10,070 women in Bhutan who were married or currently living with a man. Women's attitude towards domestic violence aids