A recent study has unveiled the profound impact domestic violence has on women’s employment, often leading to their complete withdrawal from the workforce. It reveals that women affected by such violence typically work fewer hours and receive lower wages compared to their counterparts who have not suffered similar abuse. This disparity, known as the ‘employment gap’, is notably significant, with data showing that only 72 per cent of women who have faced economic abuse in the last five years remain employed, as opposed to 81.4 per cent of those who have not experienced such abuse.

The study, titled “The Cost of Domestic Violence to Women’s Employment and Education”, utilises new data sources to quantify for the first time the severe repercussions of domestic violence on the employment and educational status of Australian women. This groundbreaking research was spearheaded by Dr Anne Summers AO, a distinguished feminist and journalist who currently holds the position of Professor of Domestic and Family Violence at the University of Technology Sydney. The project received substantial support from the Paul Ramsay Foundation.

The findings indicate that more than 60 per cent of women currently experiencing domestic violence are employed. In the fiscal year 2021-22, this translated to over 704,000 women between the ages of 18 and 64 who had undergone partner violence, emotional abuse, or economic abuse in the preceding five years. These women often face relentless pressure from their partners to either resign from their jobs or reduce their working hours. This pressure is even more intense from former partners, with the 2021-2022 Personal Safety Survey reporting that 451,000 women had ex-partners who attempted to control their work and earnings. Women still living with an abusive partner are not spared, with 30,700 reporting that their current partner has tried to maintain their employment and earnings as well.

Moreover, the report also sheds light on an ‘education gap’. The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health reveals a nearly 15 per cent difference by the age of 27 in university degree attainment rates between victim-survivors and other women. This gap has dire consequences, potentially reducing lifetime earnings by up to 41 per cent compared to women who have achieved higher education. The sabotage of their educational pursuits by violent partners often triggers depression, shame, and stress, leading many to abandon their studies.

These gaps represent significant hindrances to women’s substantial strides in workforce participation and university attainment over recent decades. The report, a sister study to “The Choice: violence or poverty”, illustrates how extensive numbers of women are either not joining the labour force, reducing their working hours, or quitting their jobs entirely due to domestic violence. Consequently, both the personal advancement of these women and the broader historical progress of women are put at risk, impacting Australia’s economic and social development profoundly.

Key findings from the report include: Domestic violence has a long-lasting effect on women’s earnings, with a noticeable decline in full-time employment often persisting for at least five years. For young women, domestic violence is associated with a 9.1 per cent reduction in full-time employment rates. Domestic violence results in a significant 9.7 per cent decrease in university degree attainment. Victim-survivors report considerably higher rates of financial distress, with 44 per cent struggling to meet household expenses and 28 per cent seeking financial help from family or friends, compared to just 7 per cent of women who have not experienced violence. In 2021–22, women who had encountered partner violence or abuse in the past five years had a 5.3 per cent lower employment rate compared to those who had not. The gap was even wider at 9.4 per cent for women who had recently endured economic abuse. Nearly 35 per cent of women who were employed at the time they faced domestic violence took leave from work, averaging 31 days off following the incident.

Dr Summers stressed that the economic toll faced by women of all ages who experience domestic violence is severe. “Domestic violence isn’t just a private issue – it’s a significant workplace and university problem that demands immediate action,” she commented. “Too many women are forced to choose between enduring violence or facing grave economic repercussions.” Summers further highlighted that domestic violence severely restricts women’s participation in the economic life of the country. “Women are compelled to leave their jobs, work fewer hours, earn less, and struggle to support themselves and their children if they decide to leave the violent relationship,” she explained. “Employment and education are not merely means of empowerment; they are vital lifelines.”

Professor Kristy Muir, CEO of the Paul Ramsay Foundation, emphasised the need for urgent systemic interventions to protect women’s access to economic independence. “The evidence clearly shows that too many women pay a high economic price, in addition to the physical, emotional, and psychological harm caused by domestic violence,” she stated. “This report serves as another urgent call to action. Economic abuse and its detrimental impact on women’s livelihoods are forms of violence that can no longer be ignored.”

More information: Anne Summers et al, The Cost of Domestic Violence to Women’s Employment and Education, University of Technology Sydney. DOI: 10.71741/4pyxmbnjaq.28489736