Domestic Violence– ‘Unwanted Pregnancy and Unsafe Abortions’: Negotiating Life amid ‘Intimate-Partner Violence’

Abstract

Unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions are closely linked to domestic violence, reflecting broader issues of gender inequality and the lack of reproductive autonomy for women in India. Domestic violence, often associated with physical or emotional abuse, also involves control over a woman’s reproductive choices. Many women are denied agency in family planning decisions due to coercion, manipulation, or outright refusal of autonomy by their male partners. Sociocultural, economic, patriarchal, and societal conventions, awell as regular physical and verbal abuse by intimate partners, frequently place women in a precarious condition which shows how “consent and coercion” govern their life. Women unable and unwilling to continue an unwanted pregnancy often resort to unsafe abortions due to fear of violence, social stigma, and lack of access to safe healthcare, severely impacting their physical and psychological well-being. Therefore, drawing upon 20 In-depth interviews conducted in the Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh, India, and the use of Gramsci’s theorization of ‘common sense’ this article explores male partners influence or control on reproductive decisions– refusing contraception, coercing pregnancies which results into leaving women powerless over their reproductive health. Further the article also attempts to investigate the nexus between domestic violence, unwanted pregnancies, and unsafe abortion practices. Besides, the article also examines women’s everyday negotiation and navigation strategy to overcome various forms of domestic violence including unwanted pregnancies. Further the article also tries to offer valuable insights and suggestion for policymakers, social workers, and healthcare workers to provide inclusive policy for dignified intervention in such crucial issues.