The hidden cost of domestic violence

Sina Hope's great passion in life is Latin and classical dance, but her rumba and samba days are over - after a brutal attack by her ex-partner, the lively South African is in a wheelchair.

A former consultant in the construction industry, who supports her family, no longer works.

"He almost killed me," said the 35-year-old woman. "It affected my whole life - physically, mentally and financially".

Hope, who lives in Ladysmith, 310 kilometers south-east of Johannesburg, used to support her younger student brother, but he had to drop out of civil engineering and is now employed.

Her story shows the devastating financial consequences that domestic violence has on women and their families.

However, it is not only individuals who suffer. Experts claim that governments would save billions of dollars a year if they curbed domestic violence.

Research suggests that the global cost of all forms of violence against women may amount to around 2 percent of GDP. That's roughly $2 trillion, or the size of the Canadian economy.

Domestic violence burdens health, police and justice services, leads to absenteeism, reduces productivity, undermines family finances and is an obstacle to ending poverty.

From Australia to Lesotho, a number of studies point to the financial cost of domestic violence.

Regardless of whether it is a highly developed country or a country with lower incomes, the financial consequences are there," said Nata Duvari, a pioneer in cost estimation studies.

“It makes governments and officials pay attention. All research shows the same thing - that it is extremely expensive”.

Although the lack of data makes it very difficult to accurately determine the burden for each individual country, Reuters identified the financial impact on two women - Hope in South Africa and Mexican activist Carolina Ramirez.

Research suggests that the global cost of all forms of violence against women may amount to around 2 percent of GDP. That's roughly $2 trillion, or the size of the Canadian economy

After adding up lost income, medical expenses and legal costs for women and their families, the Thomson Reuters Foundation found that extreme violence that destroys lives can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In rich countries, research on the economic consequences of domestic violence often focuses on public resources, but in lower-income countries, where public services are weaker, research concentrates more on personal and household costs.

For example, one study in Vietnam found that victims of domestic violence spend almost a quarter of their income to deal with the consequences.

Duvari, director of the Center for Global Women's Studies at the University of Galway in Ireland, said there has been an "explosion of research" in this area.

Although the studies cannot be directly compared because they use different methodologies, most estimate the cost at 1 to 2% of GDP—roughly equivalent to what many low-income countries spend on primary education.

However, since domestic violence is largely underreported, these figures could be significantly higher.

Many women suffer abuse for decades, afraid to speak out for fear of stigma and blame. In some countries, marital violence is even tolerated.

The harmful effects are often passed on to the next generation, hindering children's education and limiting future opportunities.

An abusive partner had already cost Hope a lot of money even before the assault that left her in a wheelchair. She lost several contracts due to him starting fights before her client meetings.

The Thomson Reuters Foundation estimated the total cost to Hope and her brother at about $90.

Hope, who is mostly bedridden and requires constant care, said her health insurance, medications and a caregiver's salary add up to about $590 a month.

Over her lifetime, she could lose about $540 in potential income, if inflation or wage growth are not taken into account. If her brother had finished his studies, he could have earned about $000 a year.

Duvari says governments cannot afford to ignore domestic violence - if for no other reason than because it undermines investment in poverty reduction and low-income countries.

"Governments are actually more interested in that than when you just tell them it costs you 2 percent of GDP," she said.

Experts say rich countries could also save money by investing in earlier and targeted interventions.

Determining the financial cost of domestic violence can help persuade governments to act in cases where human rights arguments are insufficient, said Melissa Alvarado, a UN expert on ending gender-based violence in Asia.

Alvarado said such studies have influenced policies in Vietnam, Cambodia, East Timor and Australia, among others.

In Vietnam, a 2012 study led to greater investment in health care for survivors and created greater awareness of the wider consequences of domestic violence.

Australia, New Zealand and Ireland are among a handful of countries that have introduced paid leave for survivors.

Colombia offers companies financial incentives to hire women who have been victims of domestic violence, while Brazilian companies must keep jobs for six months if victims decide to take leave.

Domestic violence not only leads to increased absenteeism, but also affects concentration, reducing productivity, affecting both perpetrators and survivors.

One study in Papua New Guinea found that each employee loses over 11 days of work per year due to violence, with one firm alone estimating a loss of around 26.200 days per year.

Some larger companies are beginning to consider how they can play a part in solving this problem. A recent UN survey of 22 of Britain's biggest companies found that many firms offer support including flexible working hours, special leave and financial assistance.

However, for the vast majority of women, employer or government support is almost non-existent - something Mexican activist Ramirez knows all too well.

Ten years ago, 61-year-old Ramirez was kidnapped and tortured by her ex-husband. He held her captive for four days, attacking her with a knife and a hammer, and took all the money from her account.

"I had to start from scratch," said Ramirez, who required surgery for multiple injuries and later had to rent accommodation near a hospital - located 230 kilometers from her home in eastern Mexico - to continue treatment. .

"You have support for the first two or three months, but then the aid and donations stop," said this former human rights consultant.

Her photographer son and her teacher daughter quit their jobs and moved to Mexico City to take care of her.

The Thomson Reuters Foundation calculated that domestic violence has cost Ramirez and her children more than $230 so far.

Ramirez, who now needs a wheelchair, has been unable to work for three years. In the end, she tried to work part-time, but in 2020, due to her deteriorating health, she was forced to stop.

She now lives with her daughter and founded a group that lobbies the government to help victims of abuse. During her lifetime, Ramirezova will lose about a quarter of a million dollars in potential earnings, according to calculations by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

This activist needs another operation, but since she's out of money, she's selling her last possession to pay for it - the small house she planned to pass down to her children.

Her ex-husband was sentenced to eight years in prison and died in prison in 2018. If he was still alive, Ramirez believes she would have had to spend more money because she would have been forced to go into hiding.

"Violence affects your entire environment," she said. "You lose, your family loses, everyone around you loses".

Prepared by: NB