New Delhi: 60 percent of the men have admitted to using violence to assert their dominance over their partner in a seven-state study that has highlighted the high prevalence of intimate partner violence in the country.

The study ‘Masculinity , Intimate Partner Violence and Son Preference in India' was done by UNFPA and International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW).

Uttar Pradesh and Odisha have the highest incidence of domestic violence cases at 75% followed by Punjab and Haryana at 43% and Maharashtra at 37%. The study has also revealed that 52% of the 3,158 women surveyed reported that they had experienced some form of violence during their lifetime.

A higher proportion of women reported experiencing physical violence (38%) followed by emotional violence (35%) that includes insults, intimidation and threats. These were followed by 17% of women reporting that their husbands or partners had been sexually violent against them, and 16% said their husband prohibits them from working, taking their earnings against their will.

The study even surveyed 9,205 men, who said this may be because of norms related to masculinity that provides support and reinforce the expectation of the men making them believe that they are the primary economic providers for their households.