Young married women in India experience physical violence at the hands of their husbands. This study, based on a survey in Maharashtra, aims to provide contextual information on gender roles, household and family dynamics, and the occurrence of physical violence. Qualitative data from two low-income settings indicate two patterns of initiation of physical violence in young married women: within six months of marriage and after the birth of the first child. Varying gender role expectations by the in-laws determined whether the marital household was stringent or flexible.
