Selective Patriarchy: Close-Kin Marriage and Women’s Acceptance of Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract Book of the 8th Global Conference on Women's Studies

Year: 2026

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Selective Patriarchy: Close-Kin Marriage and Women’s Acceptance of Intimate Partner Violence

Sana Khalil

ABSTRACT:

I investigate the relationship between consanguineous (close-kin) marriage and women’s acceptance of intimate partner violence (IPV). I document a broad pattern whereby women’s acceptance of violence is selectively concentrated in scenarios that directly challenge patriarchal control over women, rather than in perceived failures of domestic responsibilities. Using a sample of 15,065 ever-married women from the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18, my study shows that women in consanguineous marriages are significantly less likely to reject IPV in all scenarios (51%) compared to women in non-kin marriages (59%), and significantly more likely to exhibit the highest level of acceptance. Results from propensity score matching estimates further reveal that being in a consanguineous marriage strengthens women’s acceptance of IPV against women in domains where women willfully assert autonomy. Justification of intimate partner violence is highest when a woman goes out without her husband’s permission, refuses sexual intercourse, or argues with him, and lowest when the perceived violation involves domestic tasks such as neglecting children or burning food.
These patterns suggest that women in consanguineous marriages navigate a complex and consolidated set of patriarchal constraints and do not indiscriminately endorse violence against women. Rather, their attitudes may reflect internalized norms that prioritize control over women’s autonomy while assigning comparatively less weight to failures in domestic labor. IPV interventions, therefore, need to look beyond couple-centered approaches and explicitly engage with broader kinship networks, such as including in-laws, elders, and extended family members in awareness and prevention programs.

Keywords: Consanguineous Marriage; Gender Norms; Intimate Partner Violence; Patriarchal Bargaining; Propensity Score Matching