Did the COVID-19 pandemic necessarily escalate intimate partner violence? Results from a national-level survey in India

It is inferred that the COVID-19 pandemic may have resulted in a spike in intimate partner violence (IPV). Recent empirical studies in this area provides mixed results from across the world, while analyses on the global south are scarce. In this study we investigate the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on possible physical, emotional, and sexual violence on women by their intimate partners in India. We analyze the household level National Family Health Survey data collected in 707 districts across India during 2019-2021 and compare the pre- and post-pandemic replies to the relevant IPV questions. Unlike some existing studies in other countries that use different measures of IPV, our findings suggest that women are less likely to report incidences of emotional or sexual (but not often physical) violence by their partners after the pandemic induced lockdown. This is driven mainly by the rural areas, and by the states with low gender equality. We conclude by discussing the possible reasons such as the male backlash channel for this result.