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In her April 25 op-ed, “Lower the high cost of leaving an abuser,” Emily Nix aptly asserted that economics is a key reason survivors “stay” in abusive relationships. However, Ms. Nix’s piece didn’t mention the critical role that structural inequities play in perpetuating domestic violence.
There is no safety for survivors without access to economic security. Research shows that nearly all (99 percent) survivors experience economic abuse. The economic ripple effect of abuse creates lifelong barriers to safety. People marginalized by race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, immigration status or ability are nearly twice as likely to be subjected to poverty because of structural inequities. With unequal access to economic resources, survivors from marginalized communities have fewer options for safety and are substantially more vulnerable to violence.
The Center for Survivor Agency and Justice is a national organization that advances economic equity for survivors of domestic violence. Our Mapping and Advancing Equity for Survivors project is building the capacity to address the systemic economic inequities that survivors face. We are developing the first national policy platform for survivor economic equity.
Yes, economic security is critical to safety for domestic violence survivors, but focusing on individual “self sufficiency” will not address the profound economic inequities that survivors face. To target the root of domestic violence, our laws and policies instead must center those who are most deeply affected and advance policies that expand economic agency.
Erika Sussman, Washington
The writer is founder and executive director of the Center for Survivor Agency and Justice.
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