Economic Abuse of Palestinian Mothers in Israel: The Case of Participants in a Welfare-to-Work Program

Focusing on Palestinian mothers in Israel participating in a nonmandatory welfare-to-work program, the study addresses whether these women experience economic abuse from their intimate partner/ex-partner, as well as whether they perceive the program as an opportunity to escape economic abuse and move toward economic independence. Based on interviews of 26 mothers and three trainers, the findings revealed dual economic abuse: in the domestic sphere and at the structural level (the labor market and welfare laws). The findings also suggest that the assistance the women receive from the welfare-to-work program has been insufficient to extricate them from their abusive situation.

African Neo-Pentecostal capitalism through the lens of Ujamaa

This article engaged in critical analyses of the capitalistic nature of the practices of African Neo-Pentecostal leaders with a focus on a few but most popular Nigerian and South African Neo-Pentecostal leaders. Using Julius Nyerere’s African moral philosophy called Ujamaa, the article viewed and critiqued the narratives with an emphasis on how antithetical such practices are to the communitarian nature of African society which provides for people-centred servant leadership. Progressively, the article discovered that such capitalistic practices promote manipulative, exploitative and inhuman culture and therefore engenders gross socio-moral and socio-economic abuse of the rights and privileges of millions of Church adherents. It further deduced that amongst others, lack of love towards the adherents and surrounding communities is at the heart of such bankrupt practices and therefore recommended the three principles and three factors of Ujamaa’s philosophy as essential values needed for the transformation of the Neo-Pentecostal religious organisations or nations. It is the conclusive remark of this article that every leader needs to adopt Ujamaa’s philosophy as a basic leadership requirement for communitarian and people-centred service to humanity.Contribution: Aligning with HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies focus and scope, this article contributed to an interdisciplinary religious aspect of research as it brought forward the interplay of African Moral Philosophy and African Pentecostal Theology aimed at discovering pathways to improve the African Christian leaders’ socio-moral and socio-economic services to adherents and African communities at large.

Women’s abuse experiences in Jordan: A comparative study using rural and urban classifications

This study explored the patterns of economic abuse among working married women from rural and urban areas in Jordan, and identified their experiences with other abuses interconnected with economic abuse, including psychological, emotional, and physical abuse and harassment. A quantitative research approach using a descriptive comparative design was employed. The findings indicated that 55.5% of urban and 44.5% of rural women have encountered spousal economic abuse in two ways: (1) controlling their economic resources and managing their financial decisions and (2) exploiting their economic resources. Economic abuse was found to be intertwined with other forms of abuse; women who faced economic abuse also endured primarily emotional and psychological abuse, followed by physical abuse and harassment, as tactics to reinforce economic abuse and maintain control over them. The most common form of psychological abuse was being made to feel frustrated and neglected when requesting emotional support, while emotional abuse was typified by resentment and being told they are inadequate. Physical abuse included partners shaking, slapping, or throwing objects at them. Both rural and urban women reported being harassed at their workplace by their partners’ repeated phone calls. In general, urban women faced more economic and other forms of abuse than rural women, especially emotional and physical abuse.

Economic abuse amongst Dutch women (formerly) victimised by intimate partner violence and abuse: A mixed methods approach

Background: Economic abuse (EA) is a type of intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) that is understudied and not always recognised as a distinct form of IPVA. EA receives relatively little attention but occurs frequently and prevents people from leaving a violent relationship. Therefore, we investigate EA amongst our study populations of women who experience(d) IPVA, in order to contribute to this new field of research. Methods: A mixed methods approach involving quantitative (N=210) and qualitative (N=12) data is used to investigate the prevalence and appearances of EA and links with other forms of IPVA, educational level, income level, etc. Results: 42.9% reported EA and the outcomes showed significant relationships between EA, psychological abuse, income level, and contribution to household income. Participants discussed various forms of EA and its impact on their economic independence and well-being. Discussion: EA is probably even more prevalent than we found in this study and more research is needed to gain insight on the prevalence, forms, and impact of EA as a silent but distinct form of IPVA. EA must be taken into account when working with IPVA survivors in order to support them in building their (economic) indepence.

Exploring Factors Associated with Pregnant Womxn’s Experiences of Material Hardship during COVID-19

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the financial insecurity of women and their families globally. Some studies have explored the impact of financial strain among pregnant women, in particular, during the pandemic. However, less is known about the factors associated with pregnant women’s experiences of material hardship. Methods: This study examined the factors associated with pregnant women’s experiences of material hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic using data collected from 183 pregnant womxn who participated in an online Qualtrics panel survey during January 2021. In addition to socio-demographic characteristics, individuals were asked about their finances and predictors of financial well-being, mental health symptoms, and intimate partner violence experiences. Ordinary least squares regression was used to calculate unadjusted and adjusted estimates. Study findings showed that the majority of womxn in the sample experienced at least one form of material hardship in the past year. Results: Economic self-sufficiency, financial strain, posttraumatic stress disorder, and economic abuse were all significantly associated with material hardship. Conclusions: Overall, findings are consistent with other studies that have documented the association between financial hardship and mental health symptoms among pregnant womxn during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a unique contribution of this study is that it highlights the significant, positive association between economic abuse, a unique form of intimate partner violence, and material hardship among pregnant womxn during the pandemic. These findings suggest the need for policy and practice interventions that help to ameliorate the financial insecurity experienced by some pregnant womxn, as well as respond to associated bidirectional vulnerabilities (e.g., mental health symptoms, experiences of intimate partner violence).

Economic abuse and its associations with symptoms of common mental disorders among women in a cross-sectional survey in informal settlements in Mumbai, India

Background Domestic violence takes a range of interconnected forms, of which economic abuse is common, but less studied than others. We examine the prevalence of economic abuse, its determinants, and its association with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Methods Our cross-sectional survey in informal settlement areas in Mumbai, India, asked women aged 18–49 years 15 questions about acquisition, use, and maintenance of economic resources, demographic and socioeconomic factors, and physical, sexual, and emotional violence. We administered the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) and Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) scales and asked about suicidal thinking. Determinants of economic abuse and its associations with positive screens for depression and anxiety were explored in univariable and multivariable logistic regression models. Results Of 4906 ever-married women respondents, 23% reported at least one form of economic abuse by either an intimate partner or another family member. The commonest were denial of property rights (10%), not being trusted with money (8%), and coercive appropriation of belongings (7%). Economic abuse was more commonly reported by widowed, separated, or divorced women than by married women (aOR 12.4; 95% CI 6.4, 24.1), and when their partners used alcohol or drugs (aOR 1.4; 95% CI 1.2–1.7). Women had greater odds of reporting economic abuse if they had suffered emotional (aOR 6.3; 95% CI 5.0–7.9), physical (aOR 1.9; 95% CI 1.4–2.6), or sexual violence (aOR 5.4; 95% CI 3.6–8.1) in the preceding 12 months. Economic abuse was independently associated with positive screens for moderate-severe depression (aOR 2.6; 95% CI 2.0–3.4), anxiety (aOR 2.7; 95% CI 1.9–3.8), and suicidal ideation (aOR 2.2; 95% CI 1.5–3.1). The odds of anxiety and depression increased with each additional form of economic abuse. Discussion To our knowledge, this is the first community-based study in India of the prevalence of economic abuse and its associations with symptoms of common mental disorders. It provides empirical support for the idea that economic abuse is at least as harmful to women’s mental health as physical violence. Surveys should include questions on economic abuse and prevention and intervention strategies need to help survivors to understand its forms.

Economic Abuse: A Literature Review of a Salient yet Overlooked Form of Intimate Partner Violence

Economic abuse is another form of intimate partner violence (IPV) used by batterers to maintain power and control over their partners which often goes unreported, unrealized, and under-supported by IPV survivor advocates. Economic abuse is misunderstood as an IPV and is often incorrectly considered a financial crime, financial fraud, or white-collar crime. Economic abuse impacts the victim’s short and long-term physical and mental well-being in efforts to achieve economic wellness for basic living conditions as well as job placement and professional development opportunities. Healthy minds fuel healthy bodies and economic self-efficacy contributes to both mental and physical health. The awareness and impact of economic abuse is grossly understudied, lacking empirical evidence on victims and survivors of economic self-sufficiency during and at the conclusion of an abusive relationship. The current research has primarily collected and reported data on heterosexual women, leaving a gap in the research regarding the impact of economic abuse in LGBTQ+ relationships. This paper serves as a literature review into current economic abuse research by discussing three constructs: economic control, economic exploitation, and employment sabotage as well as possible solutions for educational opportunities and financial self-efficacy. Further research is needed to raise awareness and provide financial literacy to IPV survivors in all gender communities.

Women’s Economic Abuse Experiences: Results from the UN Multi-Country Study on Men and Violence in Asia and the Pacific

Economic abuse is a poorly understood form of intimate partner violence but may have far-reaching implications for the financial health of the survivor. Additionally, very little is known about whether depressive symptoms, education, employment, or attitudes about relations between men and women mediate or moderate the relationship between economic abuse and their financial circumstances. The purpose of this study was to answer these two research questions: (a) Is there a relationship between the experience of economic abuse and food insecurity (as a measure of poverty)? (b) Is the relationship between economic abuse and food insecurity impacted by women’s education, women’s and men’s employment, women’s attitudes towards gender relations, or women’s depressive symptoms? We used quantitative data from the “UN Multi-Country Study on Men and Violence,” analyzing data on 3,105 women aged 18–49 years who were interviewed. Initial logistic regressions were conducted followed by introducing moderators and mediators to the model using path analyses to test the relationship between economic abuse and food insecurity in the household. Significant predictors of food insecurity included several types of abuse and partners’ employment, women’s own employment, and education. The only type of IPV not associated with food insecurity was physical abuse. Experiences of economic abuse were associated with a 1.69 times greater likelihood of reporting food insecurity which was higher than experiences of psychological or sexual abuse. Additionally, women’s experiences of economic abuse over their lifetime were significantly associated with an increase in depressive symptoms which in turn was associated with greater likelihood of experiencing food insecurity. Such relationships warrant attention to economic abuse and depressive symptoms as part of the interventions used when working with survivors. Additional research could also help further our understanding of how these variables interact together and how best to address its impact on survivors.