Ecuador study estimates losses caused by violence against women at US$2 billion per year

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A new study developed by the German Cooperation, through the Prevention of Violence against Women program, together with Peru’s San Martin de Porres University, analyzes the individual, household, community, microenterprise, and governmental costs of violence against women in Ecuador.

According to the document, Ecuador has the second-highest prevalence of violence against women in intimate partner relationships in Latin America. Furthermore, in South America, Ecuador is the second most food-insecure country, after Bolivia. Therefore, violence against women generates costs to the state, families, community, and women who are in circles of violence.

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In addition, the study proves that violence against women is a constant problem: 59.2% of Ecuadorian women between 18 and 65 have been assaulted at least once by their partner or ex-partner. The last year, explains the study, 42% of women were assaulted, with about 23 attacks per year.

The most frequent type of violence is psychological (40.6%), followed by physical (18.7%), economic (15.5%), and sexual (6.7%). Despite this, only 13% of assaulted women have sought assistance and protection.

Among the results are that Ecuador’s national costs due to violence against women amount to US$2.0845 billion. This is equivalent to 1.92% of GDP. Of these costs, 57.58% are borne by the assaulted women, 26.08% by their households, and 16.34% by the community.

The State assumes approximately US$522.8 million as a direct consequence of violence against women. The resources are used to cover the costs of courts, health, education, and administration.

Violence against women generates a loss of 16.6% of the monthly income of women who work and receive a salary. According to the study, for every US$100 earned from paid work, a woman can lose US$16.6 due to violence. Productivity losses caused by violence amount to US$984.6 million.

But that’s not all, an assaulted woman spends about US$50 to seek medical assistance and protection on at least six occasions each year. Also, an assaulted woman can spend an average of 31 hours -more than a day- to attend to the latest episode of violence she has suffered.

According to the study, violence also generates community costs. Women have loaned approximately US$41.4 million a year to other women assaulted by their partners or ex-partners. In addition, women who comfort, accompany and provide shelter to other battered women have dedicated 7.6 million productive days, equivalent to US$144.7 million.

Violence against women has consequences in families and homes. The study concludes that as a result of violence against women, 15 out of every 100 households went hungry. At the country level, 50.2 million days are food insecure, an equivalent of US$238.8 million that should have been spent to buy food and were lost.

In children, violence against women hurts the scholastic, physical and emotional performance of boys and girls who witness the aggressions committed against their mothers. For example, it increases the probability of school absenteeism, losing almost 2.5 days of school.

The study indicates that 1 out of every three children has witnessed violence perpetrated against their mothers up to 4 times per year, and 1 out of every 2 of these children suffers physical punishment.

Among the recommendations made by the experts in the document is to evaluate the effectiveness of prevention strategies and increase the budget for primary prevention of violence against women, to articulate intersectoral prevention, i.e., that health, education, labor, and social security policies consider violence against women as an axis of analysis that cannot be postponed.

It is also recommended that food security policies take into account prevention strategies. That prevention focuses on specific groups of women, according to their level of risk, and their orientation and effectiveness be evaluated.