Exploring the Nature and Reasons Associated with Sexual Violence within Marriage among Young Couples in Nepal

Mahesh Puri, Center for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities (CREHPA)
Jyotsna Tamang, Center for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities, Kathmandu
Iqbal H. Shah, World Health Organization (WHO)
Laxmi Shrestha, Center for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities, Kathmandu
Bishnu Dulal, Center for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities, Kathmandu

Sexual coercion within marriage is a much neglected research area. This paper examines the nature and reported reasons for sexual coercion within marriage among young couples in Nepal. The data come from 96 free-listings with young married couples, and community leaders, 6 causal flow analysis (CFA) and 26 in-depth case histories. About half of young women reported sexual coercion within marriage. The participants listed more than 50 reasons of sexual coercion within marriage. CFA and in-depth case histories revealed that lack of education, traditional socio-cultural norms, women’s economic dependency, women’s submissiveness, lack of family and legal support for women, men's use of alcohol are the major underlying reasons for sexual coercion. Actions needed at different levels to prevent sexual coercion include providing sexuality and life skills education to address gender stereotypes and attitudes that reinforce male entitlement and women's submissiveness to forced sex within marriage and legal and family support.