Interplay of education and community norms in justifying intimate partner violence among ever-married women aged 15-49 years in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study.

backgroundIntimate partner violence (IPV) remains a significant public health concern in Bangladesh, with societal norms heavily influencing women's attitudes toward its justification. Education is often linked to reduced IPV justification, as it can empower women to challenge harmful gender norms. However, this relationship is likely moderated by community norms, where entrenched beliefs about IPV may limit the protective effects of education. This study examines the interplay between education and community norms in shaping the attitudes toward IPV among ever-married women aged 15 to 49 in Bangladesh.

methodsThis study utilized data from the 2022 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS). A sample of 19,022 ever-married women was analyzed. A composite measure of attitudes toward IPV was developed, assessing agreement with various justifications for IPV. Statistical analyses, including chi-square tests, rank-biserial correlation test, and generalized linear models with binomial link function, were utilized to evaluate associations between IPV justification and sociodemographic factors. The parametric g-formula was employed to estimate potential outcome probabilities of IPV justification under hypothetical scenarios, with bootstrapping used for standard error calculations.

results13.9% of the ever-married women in Bangladesh aged 15-49 years justified IPV. Women with no formal education had 78% higher odds of justifying IPV compared to higher educated women (AOR 1.78 with 95% CI 1.11 to 2.85). Women from communities with a high prevalence of IPV justification had 3.21 times higher odds of perceiving IPV as justifiable compared to those from low-prevalence community (AOR 3.21 with 95% CI 2.06 to 5.01). Additionally, poor older women with limited household decision-making autonomy, having uneducated husband, and belonged to certain divisions were more prone to justify IPV. Within a fixed level of community norms, the prevalence of IPV justification among women with no formal education is not significantly different from the women with primary or secondary education (all p values > 0.40). On the other hand, if all women from the study population had no formal education and belonged to a community with low IPV justification, they would have been 6% less likely to perceive IPV as justifiable compared to if all of them were to belong to a highly educated community high IPV justification (95% CI: -11% to -2%).

conclusionThe findings highlight that education alone is insufficient to combat the norm regarding IPV justification, particularly in communities where such beliefs are entrenched. The results underscore the necessity of targeted, community-level interventions aimed at shifting societal attitudes toward non-violence and gender equality, creating sustainable change, and reducing the normalization of IPV in Bangladesh.