Polygyny and Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence in Afghanistan: The Role of Household Autonomy and Socioeconomic Factors

Violence Against Women. 2026 Apr 23:10778012261443481. doi: 10.1177/10778012261443481. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the association between polygyny and women’s attitudes toward wife beating in Afghanistan, focusing on the confounding and suppressive role of women’s autonomy and socioeconomic factors. We utilized data from the 2015 Afghanistan Demographic and Health Survey, encompassing 29,461 ever-married women aged 15-49. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and a series of stepwise adjusted logistic regression models were applied. Women in polygynous unions were 8%-12% (OR = 0.92 to 0.88) less likely to justify wife beating than those in monogamous unions. Women’s autonomy, educational attainment, media exposure, and household wealth were independently associated with lower acceptance of intimate partner violence (IPV). Interventions to reduce acceptance of IPV should focus on empowering women’s autonomy and addressing socioeconomic inequalities within cultural contexts.

PMID:42024143 | DOI:10.1177/10778012261443481