A Silent Killer

Mrs. Doe is a hardworking mother of four. Having worked night shifts for years to supplement the family’s income alongside her husband’s regular day job, she enjoyed a degree of financial independence. However, as her husband was increasingly away for work, she felt she had no choice but to quit her job and take care of her children full time. Her private funds soon dried up while she remained unemployed, pushing her to rely more and more on her husband’s earnings. Eventually, he cut her off from their shared bank account—the one with the income from the house they were renting out. “Separate accounts from now on,” he said. “If you need any money, ask me.”

Soon enough, family necessities previously taken for granted such as groceries and petrol for the car became accessible solely through the will of another person. He began titling the transfers sent to her account: “allowance for the lady of the house.” He decided how much money to give. And when the family car broke down, it stayed that way for days until he decided to go to the mechanic himself. With all her kids to raise, Mrs. Doe had no prospects of escape. And the longer she was unemployed, the less likely she was to find work. She had become trapped.

Mrs. Doe is not a real person, but the story is. As students of Sciences Po, we have all been made aware—at least in theory—of the dangers of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV). Modules on Moodle, emails, conferences, posters, you name it, all to further our understanding of the issue. And for good reason: the institution and its directors have witnessed their fair share of SGBV controversies in past years, including physical abuse.

And yet, an important aspect is rarely mentioned. Outside of the institutional setting of Sciences Po, gender-based violence does not only mean physical acts or harmful comments; in a whopping 95% of cases of domestic abuse, it also goes hand in hand with economic abuse. With no bruises to show for or recordings to use as evidence, it does not make an immediate impression. It is intangible and invisible to the oblivious outsider, but it affects one in seven women in the UK according to Surviving Economic Abuse, a British charity. A survey by Ifop reports that 23% of French women have experienced economic violence in their lifetimes. And still many do not know the phenomenon has a name, much less legal status.

The term “economic abuse” is used to designate the various ways that economic control can be exerted in order to keep the victim dependent on the abuser for their survival and material well being. It is designed to diminish the economic stability of the victim and limit their freedom. Deprived of the means to access money—let alone money itself—victims of economic abuse have a difficult time regaining their economic freedom and are often trapped, just like Mrs. Doe. In this way, it tangibly impacts physical and psychological safety.

It manifests in various ways, the first and most obvious being financial abuse, a subcategory of economic abuse. This involves controlling the access to the victim’s bank accounts, coercing them into taking on debt or simply stealing their funds. Oftentimes it is implemented over time, only gradually limiting the victim’s access to their own funds. Once they realize they are dependent it is too late—especially without family support and with other dependents to take care of.

Then there are all the other forms of economic control. Limiting employment opportunities, either by forcing fewer working hours, controlling employment choices or preventing employment in the first place. Refusing to let you claim governmental benefits. Insisting assets such as cars or real estate be in the name of the abuser. Keeping financial information secret. Forcing the victim to justify every purchase made.

So what can be done? A 2018 study estimated that over one billion women live in jurisdictions where there is no legal protection against economic abuse. First and foremost, liability for economic violence should be introduced where it has not yet been. It should be implemented more widely in countries where it is already present with a view to improving its adjudication. But even more important is raising awareness. Economic abuse is rarely talked about, much less understood.

Economic abuse is a silent killer. The dependency it leads to as well as its interplay with gender has flown under the radar for far too long. And there is certainly no module on Moodle for it.