Dear Friends,
This week, the Washington Post published an opinion piece on economic abuse, a lesser known form of domestic violence. Despite what the article may infer, advocates have been aware of the deleterious impacts of financial abuse for at least as long as I’ve been in the movement, and I’m sure well before that. That said, the statistics are stark: victim’s employment rates fell by 12% and their income fell by 26% when compared to similar women with non-abusive partners.
Also not a surprise to advocates is the finding that economic abuse often begins well before physical abuse. What we hear often from our clients is that financial abuse is a tactic that increases both the survivor’s isolation and the abuser’s control.
I wish the piece didn’t conclude with an admonishment that women not “give up their financial independence”– it feels a little too close to victim blaming for me. The reality is that domestic violence is insidious and complicated, and often the slow progression of economic abuse occurs simultaneously with verbal, emotional, sexual, and physical abuse. Layered on top of that are complicated societal realities– the cost of childcare, cultural pressure to leave the workforce, discrimination against pregnant and parenting women by employers– that often result in mothers relinquishing their financial independence to raise children separate and apart from experiences of abuse.
That said, research that lifts up the complicated nature of domestic violence is important, as is coverage by large media outlets and the conversation these pieces encourage. With data and dialogue, advocates, policy makers, and champions in the community– like yourself– can work together to ensure a more nuanced and impactful policy response that supports safety, empowerment, and healing for those experiencing domestic violence in our community.
In Solidarity,
Jessica Walsh
Executive Director
Continue Reading April News & Updates from the Women’s Resource Center
