Couples in South Asia struggle to gain economic independence from in-laws
1 October 2018
Intergenerational power relations may be just as important as male-female power relations for women's economic empowerment, according to new Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê research.
The study,Ìýpublished inÌýWorld Development, wasÌýconducted inÌýruralÌýNepalÌýwhere mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law oftenÌýhave fraught relationships, asÌýtheir survival and well-being depend on gaining favour withÌýmale family members.
Funding was provided from Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê's Grand Challenges programme of cross-disciplinary research bringing together researchers from Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê's Institute of Global Health, Anthropology and Economics departments.
The research team uncovered multiple ways in which young wives and husbands living with their in-laws became secret allies in seeking economic independence from the rule of the mother-in-law. Most prominently, this included secretly saving up for setting up their own separate household, far away from the home of the in-laws.
Dr Lu Gram (Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê Institute of Global Health) said: "Over the past 30 years, economic models of family behaviour have overwhelmingly focused on spousal conflictÌýin nuclear households. Our research points to the need to consider intergenerational conflict in extended households to ensureÌýpolicies to 'empower' women remain relevant to localÌýSouth Asian contexts."
We are currently conducting a follow-upÌýstudy on developingÌýbetter measures of women's access to cash for the South Asian context."
Traditionally, young wives living with their in-laws had to accept subservience to their husband and mother-in-law. In exchange, they would receive economic security and eventually become mothers-in-law themselves with authority over their own daughter-in-law. This research suggests the balance of power can suddenly shift with important consequences for women's fertility, health and child care practices.Ìý
The authors hope their work will be of interest to economists and policy-makers as it has shown there are intergenerational power struggles in families that are often overlooked.
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Pano (mother-in-law) and Anjana (daughter-in-law) /Local market in Janakpur, rural Nepal Credit: Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê
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