Understanding Economic Violence against Women: The need for harmonised definitions and data in the EU

Economic violence is a common form of violence against women statistically defined as ‘any act or behaviour which causes economic harm to an individual’. Economic violence is rooted in gender inequality and reinforced by traditional gender norms.

Perpetrators of economic violence control the victim’s ability to ‘acquire, use, and maintain economic resources, threatening their economic security and potential for self-sufficiency’. Economic violence often occurs in the context of intimate relationships. Notably, control over economic resources is one of the main reasons that constrain women’s possibilities of leaving abusive relationships.

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