Comparative Cross-National Analyses of Domestic Violence: Insights from South Asia

Abstract

Domestic violence is a global phenomenon impacting countless lives. However, most research on the topic is anchored in the Global North. Using South Asia as a case study, we encourage further development of intersectional, comparative research. Such work brings us closer to understanding shared and divergent causes, patterns, and impacts of domestic violence within and across societies. The tendency to treat South Asia monolithically erases nuanced understandings of domestic violence and reduces South Asian women to victims. Our context-specific explorations highlight how marriage, religion and global processes reveal theoretically meaningful variations in women’s experiences of domestic violence.