Holi Crimes

Abstract

A significant number of women experience physical or sexual violence throughout their lives, with a considerable portion of such incidents occurring in public spaces. It has been argued that harmful social norms emphasizing men's power over women play a pivotal role in perpetuating such violence. We study the role of norms on violence against women (VAW) by analyzing Holi, a festivity in India, where the phrase “Bura na mano Holi Hai” (Don’t feel offended, it’s Holi) is misused to justify inappropriate behavior. Leveraging different dates of the event based on the lunar calendar, we document a dramatic increase of over 170\% assaults against women during Holi. We analyze how perpetrators' and victims' attitudes towards violence against women impact VAW.

Analysis reveals (1) an intensification effect where there is higher violence in districts where men justify violence, and (2) a male backlash effect where there is higher violence in districts where women oppose VAW. While we find that patriarchal norms impact reporting behavior and women's mobility, underreporting nor lower women's mobility during Holi seem to account for the results.

Finally, using up-to-date judicial information we find that most incidents are committed by multiple perpetrators (five on average) and that up to date, none have been convicted. The paper underscores the critical role of social norms and gender imbalances in shaping VAW, emphasizing the urgent need for intervention.