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This is a continuation of ICADV’s technical assistance communications spotlighting information that helps to inform domestic violence services providers how they can maximize the resources available to them.

TOPIC: Economic Justice and Self-Sufficiency

TIMELINE: 1 Week

What are Economic and Self-Sufficiency?

We’ve all heard those words tossed around. If any of you saw the email that went out for the Economic Justice Allstate grant application a few weeks back, you saw it then, too! Let’s break these terms down:

Economic Justice (EJ) is the idea that the economy will be more successful if it is fairer, including universal basic income equality by gender and race as well as equal and equitable opportunities (DCADV). The work for EJ is vital, and desperately needed. Our country is economically inequal and inequitable because anti-EJ barriers are deeply rooted in many systems. These include barriers like racism, classism, sexism, and ableism. Economic justice work tends to take place on a larger scale like policy advocacy, organizational policies and procedures, collaborative relationships leveraged to create more equitable access to resources for survivors, among many more.  

Self-sufficiency is one’s own ability to cover their basic needs (food, housing, insurance, etc.) without any additional help. Ensuring self-sufficiency is a key aspect of safety planning especially because financial abuse is a common tactic used by abusers to gain/maintain power and control in a relationship. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), between 94 – 99% of DV survivors have also experience financial abuse. Furthermore, between 21 – 60% of intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors lose their jobs due to reasons stemming from the abuse. A key piece of our work to end domestic violence is focusing on supporting survivors and their self-sufficiency. This can include staying up to date on various local financial assistance programs, food banks, education programs, and job-training opportunities.  

Advocating for Economic Justice is a cornerstone of the fight to end domestic violence. Knowing that economic justice takes place on a larger, more macro scale, what are ways your agency can support economic justice? Here are just some of the ways:

➤ Have a schedule on how frequently your agency’s policies and procedures are reviewed for any potential needed changes

• Are there any policies or procedures that originated out of good will, but now we see that they provide barriers to some communities 

➤ Engage in economic justice workshops, webinars, and events

• Ensure that your staff has protected time and resources to engage in economic justice development so they can stay up to date on the latest developments.

➤ Collaboration

• Are there any community partnerships you have where a big focus is breaking down barriers and supporting equity? Are there any community partnerships that you want to create?

Self-sufficiency, whether we actively realize it or not, is a key part of safety planning and case management. As advocates, we know that survivors know what they need and what they are good at. There are some baseline factors to figure out first: does the survivor have work experience or educational certification (GED/High School Diploma/Higher Education)? If they need education assistance, this is a wonderful opportunity to utilize some of those community partnerships. This is a fresh start for the survivor, and we want to support them in their journey, so let’s see if we can get that dream job! Unfortunately, a lot of the funding in the DV world tends to have very tight restrictions on what the funds can and cannot be used for. If your agency sees the opportunity for a low barrier grant, it is highly encouraged that your agency applies. In the meantime, how can we get creative with our funding? Let's think about:

When someone is sharing what they want to do for work, it’s important to put aside our own biases about various forms of income. Unfortunately, many job fields still experience a lot of stigma. Make sure that you are doing the work to unlearn those stigmas. Below are some various forms of income that face stigma;

☑ Even though economic justice and self-sufficiency are different items, they share a bulk of their identity. Part of ending domestic violence is working toward an equal and equitable economic world. You play a major part in that: managers and staff alike. Moving forward, to ensure that you’re not only talking the talk but walking the walk, keep these key items in mind:

☑ Economic Justice is macro, let’s be clear in our policies and procedures that we strive for economic equality and equity. 

☑ Self-sufficiency is a long-term goal. Due to funding restrictions, we can’t pay for everything, so let’s stay creative in supporting survivors in whatever ways we can.

☑ People’s choice of income is up to them, and the job they want may not be something we find glamourous so it’s vital to consistently work on removing biases.

If you have any questions or comments about economic justice, self-sufficiency, advocate fair pay, or anything related to this Spotlight, please reach out to Rachal Glenn, Housing and Economic Specialist, at [email protected].

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