Patriarchy Behind Closed Doors: Domestic Violence and Women's Well-being.

AbstractThis review paper synthesizes contemporary literature to examine the intrinsic relationship between patriarchal structures, domestic violence (DV), and the holistic degradation of women’s well-being. It posits that DV is not an isolated criminal act or a private conflict but a systematic expression of patriarchal power, operationalized through the strategic pattern of coercive control within intimate relationships. The analysis delineates the multifaceted forms of abuse physical, psychological, sexual, economic, and technological and charts their cumulative, devastating impact on women’s physical and mental health, social bonds, and economic security. Critically, the paper explores the social machinery of silence, stigma, and normalization that sustains abuse, while foregrounding the often-overlooked agency and coping strategies of survivors. It further extends the analysis to emerging family forms and provides a critical assessment of institutional responses, highlighting pervasive failings. The conclusion asserts that meaningful intervention requires a dual approach in social work and policy: the provision of immediate, trauma-informed, and survivor-cantered support, coupled with sustained advocacy for structural reforms. These reforms must aim to dismantle patriarchal norms, legally recognize coercive control, and build integrated community responses, thereby confronting the root cause of this gendered violence. Keywords: Domestic violence, Patriarchy, well being