Seeking security: promoting women’s economic wellbeing following domestic violence

This research report highlights the ways in which violent relationships directly impact on women's financial security and how, in turn, this impacts on women's safety. That is, financial insecurity significantly affects women's decisions to leave or stay, their capacity to take up safety measures following separation and impacts on their recovery. The research was conducted in 2009 and 2010 with eight Australian services across Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. The services recruited 57 female clients affected by domestic violence and 50 workers to participate in qualitative interviews and focus groups. Questions concerned how participants defined financial security, how abuse affected women's finances and the impact for women's safety, as well as what had supported women to become more financially secure and how services and organisations could improve their response to these issues. In 2010, a forum, 'Counting the cost - building capacity', was held for researchers, practitioners and professionals interested in women's financial security pre and post violent relationships to discuss and develop further practical strategies in areas of social security, employment, immigration, child support, accommodation, legal and health issues. Recommendations arising from this event are included as an appendix. This report and its recommendations inform the Federal Government's social inclusion agenda and provide some clear directions for initiating strategies that will promote abused women's economic participation and prosperity, and which recognise their value to our communities.