A Nexus between Diversity in Women's Empowerment and Violation of their Sexual Rights in India: Evidence from National Family Health Surveys

Abstract

Concern of women empowerment in terms of violence reduction has become a burning issue in India since last few decades. Highlighting these issues would be impossible without realization of sexual rights of women. Mounting evidences of women empowerment in the country does not make women privileged in providing them, their sexual rights. This study aims to explore whether diverse situation of women’s empowerment is influencing violence against women including their perceived sexual rights by using data of National Family Health Survey fourth round, conducted in 2015-2016. Findings of this study reveal that upswing in the status of women in different dimension of empowerment has reduced the percentage of women who experienced spousal violence across all states of India except Meghalaya, Manipur, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Karnataka. Further, lack of equity in women empowerment is adversely related to their perceived sexual rights. It is found that the percentage of women perceiving about sexual rights has decline in India from 75% in NFHS-3 to 70% in NFHS-4. Even after being financially empowered and holding rights in household decision making, women lack in negotiation power in individual decision making which relates to their reproductive and sexual rights. Thus, the recent upswing in different dimension of women’s empowerment is not leading towards qualitative change in life of women and they are still victim of violence which largely affects their physical and mental health.