Understanding structural and normative drivers of domestic violence against women in rural Bangladesh

Abstract Background Domestic violence against women remains a major public health and human rights concern in Bangladesh, particularly in rural settings where patriarchal norms, economic dependency, early marriage, and honour-based regulation may intensify women’s vulnerability. This study examines how intimate partner violence (IPV) is produced, justified, and potentially reduced in rural Bangladesh, with particular attention to the structural and normative drivers of violence, the intersecting vulnerabilities that constrain women’s choices, and the consequences for women’s wellbeing. Methods The study employed a qualitative design using semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Data were collected from 27 married participants, comprising 14 men and 13 women, in Joypurhat and Naogaon Districts. Participants were selected through snowball sampling to capture experiences and perceptions related to marital conflict, domestic violence, gender roles, and coping or conflict-management strategies. Interviews and group discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated into English, and back-translated for accuracy. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s approach. Results The findings indicate that domestic violence is embedded within a wider architecture of vulnerability rather than occurring as an isolated interpersonal event. Key themes included patriarchal gender norms that position women as responsible for maintaining family peace; the normalisation of physical, emotional, and economic abuse within marital life; women’s economic dependency and constrained forms of agency; honour-based silencing and fear of disclosure; and the near absence of accessible institutional recourse. Participants also described conflict-reduction practices such as silence, temporary withdrawal, gifts, and care gestures, but these often reduced immediate tension without challenging structural inequality. Women’s narratives highlighted fear, emotional distress, endurance, and practical coping, while men’s narratives frequently framed violence and control within idioms of discipline, honour, and household management. Conclusions The study concludes that reducing domestic violence in rural Bangladesh requires more than interpersonal conflict-management advice. Effective prevention must address the structural conditions that sustain violence, including patriarchal entitlement, poverty, educational deprivation, social shame, and weak institutional access. The findings support the need for multi-level interventions that combine gender-transformative norm change, survivor-centred rural services, educational retention, and economic empowerment, designed with attention to backlash and women’s safety.