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Sidney Ruth Schuler, Dr, Empowerment of Women Research Program, Academy for Educational Development, 1875 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009, 202-884-8081, sschuler@aed.org, Farzana Islam, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Lisa M. Bates, ScD, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Fl., 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032.

This study explores the psycho-social underpinnings of survey results indicating that an extremely high proportion of women (84%) believe it is acceptable for their husbands to use violence against them under various circumstances. Such questions are increasingly incorporated into surveys and often yield results similar to ours. Surveys were conducted in 2002 with 320 men and 1200 women in 6 villages. 110 in-depth interviews (all but 3 with women) and 16 small group discussions (all but 2 with women) were conducted in 3 villages to explore the dynamics of gender inequality, marriage, concepts of rights, and violence within marriage. Consistent with the survey results, some women made statements suggesting that that gender-based violence (GBV) was the victim's fault, but when the topic was explored in detail female study participants also expressed anger regarding their subjection to GBV. Most had resigned themselves to accepting a certain level of violence against them but they did not appear to truly condone it. Abused women's suggestions when asked what might be done to alleviate the problem of GBV often revealed extreme bitterness and a desperate wish for outside intervention. Some women suggested unrealistic and extreme measures such as hanging or life imprisonment.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain why responses to survey questions regarding the perceived acceptability of husbands’ violence against their wives should be interpreted with caution.
• Describe how gender inequality influences women’s concepts of human rights.
• Analyze policy implications of women’s ambivalent attitudes towards GBV.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered