Cost of living, housing crisis compounds issues of economic abuse: organization

A Canadian organization is urging the country to stand with survivors and end domestic economic abuse. The Canadian Centre for Women’s Empowerment (CCFWE), a non-profit organization, said the issue needs a “call to action.” Canada This Month newsletter: Sign up to read the best our local outlets have to offer Economic abuse is an “insidious” and “overlooked” form of domestic violence that disproportionately impacts women, immigrants, refugees, Indigenous and gender-diverse people, the press release reads.
The press release notes that almost all survivors of gender-based violence endure economic abuse rates ranging from 94 to 99 per cent. “Economic abuse, experienced by almost all survivors of gender-based violence, has far-reaching consequences on victims’ ability to break free from cycles of abuse,” the release says. Economic abuse can look like being denied access to bank accounts, barred from information and decision-making rights or having severely “curtailed” spending choices,(opens in a new tab) the CCFWE website reads. “Imagine being trapped in a situation where someone has control over all your finances,” Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, said in the press release. “They decide what you can buy, they decide where you can go. They decide how you live your life. Unfortunately, this is the reality for many victims of intimate partner violence.” According to the press release, Minister Ien wants to “shine a light” on the issue. The CCRWE said that a “confluence of factors” has contributed to higher gender-based violence rates. This includes rising inflation, scarcity of affordable housing, food prices and strained assistance programs, the release reads. “We know it disproportionately impacts women, newcomers, Black, Indigenous and gender-diverse people,” Ien said. “Economic Abuse leaves survivors with debt, no financial resources, and is one of the primary reasons that victims return to their abusers.”
This comes as Canada marked Economic Abuse Awareness Day on Sunday…
Source:ctvnews.ca