As temperature rises, so does domestic violence against women

A new study has found a troubling correlation between rising temperatures and increase in domestic violence against women in India, Pakistan and Nepal.

A study published in JAMA Psychiatry on Wednesday revealed that a 1-degree Celsius increase in average yearly temperature is linked to a more than 6.3% rise in incidents of physical and sexual domestic violence in three countries in South Asia.

The study monitored 194,871 girls and women aged 15-49 from India, Pakistan, and Nepal between 2010 and 2018, recording their reported experiences of emotional, physical, and sexual violence.

This data was then compared with temperature changes during the same period. Among the three countries, India, given its size, had the highest reported rates of intimate partner violence and witnessed the most significant increase in abuse.

With a 1-degree Celsius increase in temperature, there was an 8% rise in physical violence and a 7.3% rise in sexual violence.

Michelle Bell, a professor of environmental health at Yale University and co-author of the study, explained that there are various possible ways, both physiological and sociological, through which higher temperatures could increase the risk of violence.

Severe heat can have devastating consequences, such as crop failures, infrastructure damage, economic downturns, and confinement indoors, which can all contribute to increased stress within families and higher rates of violence.

The researchers discovered that while heat-related violence rose across all income groups, the most significant increases were observed among lower-income households and those residing in rural areas.

Widespread impacts of Heatwave and Extreme temperature

Many countries worldwide are currently grappling with extreme temperatures and heatwaves.

India, for example, recently reported temperatures reaching up to 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit), leading to numerous heat-related deaths, the report stated.

Mediterranean Europe experienced a record-breaking heatwave in April, while Texas endured a deadly heatwave for three consecutive weeks with temperatures reaching up to 46 degrees Celsius. In northern cities of China, where temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius, people were advised to stay indoors as records were broken.

Suniti Gargi, an Indian activist who previously collaborated with Uttar Pradesh’s women’s commission, highlighted that heatwaves have become a recurring phenomenon during the Indian summer.

She was quoted in a Guardian’s report, saying: “I’ve noticed an alarming rise in unusually high temperatures.”

“These conditions create immense economic pressure on families. If a man is able to migrate to another state for work, it can help sustain the family’s livelihood. However, when circumstances prevent him from doing so, his wife becomes the target of his anger and feelings of worthlessness,” she said.

Through Gargi, one woman shared her experience of the heatwave’s impact on her family. When the scorching heat of May and June made it impossible for her husband to work in the fields, they lost their sole source of income. “He becomes frustrated because he feels powerless to provide for our children,” she disclosed.

“As the frustration builds up and the children start to complain and argue, he directs his anger towards me. He even resorts to physically abusing the children. Although he regrets his actions later, the cycle repeats the next day when he remains unable to earn a living.”

Although many countries already track heat-related deaths during heatwaves, they often fail to account for the hidden toll of increased domestic violence incidents resulting from rising temperatures.

Bell highlighted that many of the adverse health consequences associated with climate change, such as heatwave-related mortality, are well-documented.

However, the true extent of the public health impact caused by climate change is likely underestimated due to various lesser-studied health risks, as exemplified in this particular study.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.