engleski

Economic violence against women in Croatia

Background: Economic violence (EV) refers to acts of control and monitoring of the behavior of an individual in terms of the use and distribution of money, and the constant threat of denying economic resources. EV has hindered a great proportion of women from achieving economic autonomy and sustainable livelihood for themselves and their dependents. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of EV among Croatian women, to identify the main types of EV and to evaluate interconnection between EV and county of living, age group, educational level and self-perceived socioeconomic status. Methods: This was a cross- sectional study conducted through a validated, anonymous questionnaire containing questions regarding sociodemographic data, and evaluating EV. Questionnaire was self-administered during April and May 2017. Sample consisted of women from two Croatian counties, one continental (Osijek- Baranja) and one non continental (Istria). Results: The study sample consisted of 1314 women, the median age being 41 years (interquartile range 32-55). The overall prevalence of EV was 19.0% ; 77.5% being qualified as less and 22.5% as more severe. Among the women who experienced EV 96.0%, 60.0% and 36.0% of them were exposed to economic control, economic exploitation and employment sabotage, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in EV proportions between women from maritime and continental county (χ2- test ; p < 0.001) ; between women from different age groups (χ2-test ; p = 0.017) ; between women with lower and higher educational level (χ2-test ; p = 0.008) and between women from different self- perceived socioeconomic status categories (χ2-test ; p < 0.001). Conclusions: EV is highly prevalent among Croatian women participating in this study and as such represents an important public health challenge within this population. Selected sociodemographic indicators represent significant risk factors for the development of EV in the studied population. Key messages: Economic violence is an important public health issue among women in Croatia that requires awareness and intervention. Research on economic violence should be undertaken to improve the understanding of this problem in the different countries and their regions.

economic violence ; women ; Croatia ; prevention

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