Domestic violence against women and its impact on employment prospects

A 2010 survey involving interviews with 1,200 women aimed to establish the prevalence of domestic violence in Malta and its impact on the employment prospects of women victims of domestic violence. Some 14% of the 140 women who had experienced physical violence claimed they had been forced to work against their will, while 4% were not allowed to work by their husband or partner; the employment of 10% was disrupted by the physical violence and 3% found it difficult to get work.

About the study

A study carried out by M. Fsadni & Associates on behalf of the Commission on Domestic Violence, which is part of the Ministry of Education, Employment and the Family (MEEF), sought to establish the prevalence of domestic violence in Malta and its impact on the employment prospects of female victims. The report (1.54Mb PDF) setting out the study’s findings was published in January 2011. The study was part-financed by the European Social Fund.

The study was based on the World Health Organization (WHO) Multi-Country Research Study, which has been carried out in 10 other countries. The survey was customised to local needs and included a new section focusing on the impact of domestic violence on employment issues in Malta.

Methodology

The quantitative research survey was conducted in Malta and Gozo during February and March 2010 through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 randomly selected women aged 18 to 59 years. Section 11 of the questionnaire focused on the financial autonomy of the respondents and looked at the impact that physical violence had on their employment. Among other questions, respondents were asked whether they had ever been forced to work against their will and whether they were able to spend the money they earn how they wanted. There was also a question as to whether, in case of an emergency, respondents would be able to raise enough money to feed their family for four weeks.

Key findings

Of the 1,200 women surveyed, 1,154 had a partner (past or present); of these, 864 were married, 41 were living with a partner, 145 had a regular partner but were not living with them, and 104 had previously had a partner but had no partner at the time of the interview. The remaining 46 respondents never had a partner.

Prevalence of domestic violence

The study found that just over a quarter of the women interviewed (26.5% or 306 out of 1,154) had been emotionally, physically or sexually abused by a husband or partner at some point in their lives. Emotional abuse was the most prevalent form of violence, followed by physical and sexual abuse. More than half of the abused did not seek help, with the majority of women (65%) believing that this issue should not be discussed outside the family.

Employment status

Of the 1,200 women interviewed, 562 (47%) declared that they were earning some kind of income. As 507 (90%) of these women said that this income came from their full-time or part-time job, it is assumed that around 42% of the women interviewed were working. Labour Force Survey (LFS) data for quarter 1 of 2010 from the National Statistics Office (NSO) showed that 38.5% of women declared themselves as being in employment.

Of the 140 respondents who had experienced physical violence, 19 (14%) said that they had been forced by their husband/partner to work against their will and five (4%) said they were not allowed to work by their husband/partner. Violence disrupted the employment of 14 of these women (10%) either because of intimidation or because of their excessive absence from work, or because their performance at work was suffering. Four (3%) said they had encountered difficulty in finding another job.

Financial autonomy

This survey revealed that only 38% (326 of the 864) of the married women interviewed worked, and this percentage went up to 56% (23 out of the 41) of cohabitating women. This could indicate that marriage renders women more financially dependent on their husband and that, if they are subjected to violence in the home, they may find themselves in more vulnerable positions because of this.

Women seem to have a high level of autonomy over spending money. The survey found that 332 (95%) of the 349 married or cohabitating respondents who earned money reported that they were not coerced into giving their income to their partner or having to answer to him as to how the money was spent. However, 2% of respondents currently married or living with a partner claimed that their spouse/partner refused to give them money for household expenses This figure went up to 9% among those suffering from domestic violence.

Of the 349 married or cohabitating respondents who earned money, 57% (198) claimed that they contributed less financially to the household than their partners, with 15% (52) contributing more and 27% (95) contributing about the same amount as their husband/partner.

Of those currently suffering domestic violence, 24% (10 out of 41 who were able to spend the money they earned how they wanted) claimed that they contributed more financially than their partners/husbands, while 15% (six out of 41) claimed that they contributed equally.

Coping financially during a crisis

Of the women currently married or cohabitating, 65% (584 out of 905) said that they would be able to cope financially for at least four weeks should the marriage or relationship break down. However, 30% (35 out of 115) of the women currently married or cohabitating and experiencing domestic violence said that they would not be able to cope financially in case of a marital crisis. This finding highlights the vulnerable position of women experiencing domestic violence and why they may be reluctant to leave their husbands/partners.

Commentary

Isolation and economic dependence can discourage female victims of domestic violence from leaving the perpetrator. Work brings financial, emotional and social benefits to women. The fact that only 47% of the women interviewed in this survey work highlights the vulnerability of women in Malta who fall victim to domestic violence.

Reference

Fsadni, M. & Associates, Nationwide research study on the prevalence of domestic violence against women and its impact on the employment prospects of the women (1.54Mb PDF), Floriana, Valletta, Commission on Domestic Violence, 2011.

Anna Borg, Centre for Labour Studies