Reduce domestic violence, and it will unleash an economic bonanza

Satish Kumar Sarma

(Former Head of the Department of Economics, Biswanath College, Kalyanpur, Biswanath Chariali)

Indian states would enjoy an economic boon worth thousands of crores of rupees if they reduce domestic violence, brand new research reveals. Globally violence between intimate partners costs the world 25 times more than all wars and terrorism. In India, the National Family Health Survey shows 22% of married women aged 15-49 experienced spousal physical or sexual violence in 2017. That suggests at least five crore Indian women were assaulted in that year.

Yet, there has been relatively little research into reducing this devastating impact. Evidence of the effectiveness of the 2005 Domestic Violence Act is fragmentary at best. The few available assessments suggest there is a lack of clarity within the judiciary about interpretation, inadequate money is allocated for infrastructure, and there is too little awareness about the law among judges, protection officers, civil society, and among women. Legislation alone is not enough to change outdated norms that underpin violence.

Research commissioned by Tata Trusts and Copenhagen Consensus from Srinivas Raghavendra, Mrinal Chadha, and Nata Duvvury, of the National University of Ireland in Galway, helps close gaps in the evidence - and points to sizable economic benefits from reducing domestic violence.

They study two of the very few approaches that have empirical evidence of effectiveness, and estimate the costs and benefits of introducing them in Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. The first is based on the SASA! project, a community mobilization intervention seeking to change the norms and behaviours that result in gender inequality and violence, pioneered in Uganda and used in more than 20 countries. The approach, costing Rs 980 per person, guides communities through a process in which people are repeatedly exposed to the programme. New attitudes and norms promoting more equitable relationships diffuse throughout the community. The researchers suggest this community mobilization intervention could target women aged 15-59 years below the poverty line, who have been in a partnership in 2017.

In Andhra Pradesh this would mean reaching 17 lakh women for a cost of Rs 164 crore. Of these 17 lakh women, more than 5 lakh would be assaulted by a spouse annually. Based on studies in India and abroad, it is likely each will on an average experience abuse 8 times a year.

The second intervention, used in South Africa, combines microfinance with training about domestic violence, gender norms and sexuality, thus providing women with the means and knowledge to improve their well-being.

Using this programme to target the same women over a two year trial, followed by a two year scale up, would cost about Rs 850 per person, meaning a cost of Rs 142 crore in AP. In their original countries, both programmes led to an estimated 55% reduction in domestic violence by the end of the intervention.

Women who are victims of spousal abuse have to miss paid work as well as unpaid domestic work. Each assault on average costs a woman 5.5 days. This productivity reduction is a huge loss to AP. The cost to the entire formal and informal economy in 2018 from all married women is a whopping 1.8% of GSDP or Rs 13,000 crore per year.

Helping just the 17 lakh women would create total benefits worth about Rs 3,000 crore, meaning that either of the programmes would have benefits worth in the region of Rs 20 for every rupee spent. Expanding the cheaper programme to the entire state of Andhra Pradesh would cost Rs 1,300 crore but the benefits would increase to a phenomenal Rs 28,000 crore.

Rajasthan’s domestic violence rate is much lower, so the benefits would be less considerable - but remain compelling. The cost of domestic violence to Rajasthan in 2018 was a whopping Rs 8,200 crore, and targeting 19 lakh women would help some 2 lakh women avoid abuse, leading to benefits worth Rs 2,360 crore. Each rupee spent could still help avoid damages worth around Rs 10. Reducing domestic violence is not only morally imperative, but can help Indian states become more productive and generate benefits worth many thousands of crores of rupees.