Challenges of Financial Insecurity and Opportunities for African Women

 Photo Credit:   Mizonu Kvia Pexels

Financial barriers significantly hinder women experiencing intimate partner violence from escaping abusive relationships. Even after gaining freedom, limited financial options may lead some women to accept an abuser’s reconciliation attempts. Advocates widely acknowledge that many women, faced with the difficult choice between securing resources for their children and escaping abuse, prioritise their children’s well-being over their safety.

Dr Rachel Fieldler in an interview with AWiM News said, “For poorer girls and women, economic security is equally important as education. They may choose marriage over education if it provides social and economic benefits. Economic security allows them to make informed decisions about violence” While emphasising the importance of Education she added that economic security is as important.

Research conducted by Dana Harrington Conner and published in the William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice reveals that inadequate material resources render women more vulnerable to violence. In her study, ‘The Economics of Intimate Partner Violence,’ Conner identifies key components of the power and control dynamics which are:

• Targeting– Batterers (abusers) often use the political and economic vulnerability of women to reinforce their power and dominance over particular women. Batterers also take advantage of the vulnerabilities of their victims, such as the victim’s economic dependence on the batterer or the state, her status as an illegal immigrant, her alcohol or drug dependency, or her responsibility to provide and care for children.
• Economic abuse is one of several strategies used by the batterer to gain control over his partner, yet it is a form of domestic violence that is very different from physical abuse or threats of harm. This type of abuse presents significant challenges for survivors who seek legal protection because the perpetrator’s acts seldom fall neatly into an enumerated category of abuse as defined by law.
• Entrapment is another way an abuser uses economics to ensure power over his victim. The ability of the abuser to prevent his victim from acquiring resources, another category of economic abuse, is an effective way to maintain long-term control. Abusers use a multitude of tactics to compromise the victim’s employment or education status, guaranteeing the battered woman’s dependence upon him. The findings from one survey of a group of women from abusive relationships support the notion that a batterer’s control over family finances strengthens his power to control. Conner’s work highlights the critical role economic factors play in perpetuating intimate partner violence.

  Impact of Economic Security on Women’s Mental Health:  Muindi Serah’s Input

Muindi Serah is a Chevening 2023/2024 scholar studying Business Psychology at Loughborough University and the founder of Hopewell Counseling firm providing mental wellness services to individuals and communities in Kenya.

Financial insecurity means that women are solely dependent on the providence of other people, fostering a power imbalance that disproportionately disadvantages them. This dynamic creates the perspective that enduring abuse is the price to pay for financial support. Consequently, women are predisposed to financial abuse, which profoundly affects their self-esteem and worth. This constant pressure from financial stress increases anxiety, which can further erode self-esteem, making it harder for women to seek help or establish boundaries in relationships. Ultimately, financial instability increases vulnerability to Gender-Based Violence (GBV), trapping women in unsafe situations, due to financial dependence on abusive partners. Empowering women with financial resources and support networks is crucial to breaking this cycle and safeguarding both their mental health and physical well-being.

Enhancing women’s mental well-being and resilience against sexual Gender-Based Violence (GBV) can be achieved through financial empowerment. By enabling women to meet their own financial needs, financial empowerment boosts self-worth and esteem, levels the power dynamic, and empowers women to stand up against GBV without fear of financial instability. This, in turn, facilitates access to essential services, including therapy and healthcare, supporting their recovery from GBV.

Serah further added that financial literacy and education programs should include addressing how financial trauma affects mental health and predisposes women to safety risks with a referral network to mental health professionals where women and other participants can access additional support while building financial literacy. She stressed that mental health professionals can integrate financial empowerment into treatment plans by helping women build practical financial skills, such as budgeting, saving, and accessing resources like job training or small grants. Therapists can also work on strengthening self-worth and decision-making abilities, encouraging women to take control of their financial future. Collaborating with financial advisors or support organizations can provide a holistic approach, addressing both mental and economic stability. This empowers women to gain independence, reducing their vulnerability to returning to abusive environments.

Serah emphasised that financial literacy and education programmes should encompass addressing the impact of financial trauma on mental health and its role in predisposing women to safety risks. These programmes should include referral networks to mental health professionals for additional guidance, integrating financial empowerment into treatment plans, and developing practical financial skills such as budgeting, saving, and accessing job training and small grants. By collaborating with financial advisers or support organisations, mental health professionals can strengthen self-worth and decision-making abilities, encouraging women to take control of their financial future. A holistic approach can also be provided to address both mental and economic stability, empowering women to gain independence and reducing their vulnerability to returning to abusive environments.

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