Economic Effects of Financial Abuse and the Coping Mechanisms of Women in Intimate Relationships in Kahawa Sukari Location, Ruiru Constituency, Central Kenya

Abstract

This study sought to evaluate the risk factors to financial abuse, its effects and the coping mechanisms among women in intimate relationships in Kahawa Sukari location, Ruiru constituency, Central Kenya. The study was guided by the following study objectives: to determine the risk factors to financial abuse among women in intimate relationships in Kahawa Sukari, to evaluate the economic effects of financial abuse among women in intimate relationships in Kahawa Sukari and to determine the coping mechanisms of the affected women in intimate relationships in Kahawa Sukari. The study followed exploratory research design utilizing both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The data was obtained using survey questionnaires, case narratives and key informant interviews. In total, 60 survey questionnaires were administered through simple random sampling to select households based on the random numbers generated for the list. The final list constituted women in intimate relationships. Case narratives were conducted on select six women chosen based on their experience with financial abuse. Key informant interview was administered to five selected professionals who were selected using non-probability purposive sampling. They included a family counsellor from the Catholic Church based in Kahawa Sukari, a police officer based at the Kahawa Sukari police station, the local Chief of Kahawa Sukari and other professionals who include a Psychosocial Advisor from an international non-governmental organization known as Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) which deals with victims of gender based violence, as well as a Programme Officer from FIDA-KENYA. The study results indicate that major factors causing financial abuse on women include cultures and traditions, socio-economic factors, isolation, lack of awareness of legal rights and dependency on male partner. The study established that common forms of financial abuse include; forbidding one from work, sabotaging ones work, controlling the family budgets, neglecting financial duties, denial of access to one’s own resources, stealing from spouse, sabotage of joint bank accounts and fraudulent use of the power of attorney. Those abuses often lead to health problems, financial problems, social and psychological problems. The study further noted that typical coping mechanisms amongst the women include; normalizing and acceptance, denial of the reality, trying to keep peace, blaming self, indulgence into drugs and alcohol, and looking for help secretly. Regression analysis indicated that while there is a weak relationship between risk factors and forms of financial abuses, there is a moderately strong, positive statistically significant influence of forms of financial abuse and the identified effects of financial abuses. Also, there is a positive influence of the effects of financial abuse on the coping mechanisms adopted by the affected women. Multiple regression of the coping mechanisms against risk factors to financial, forms of financial abuse, and effects of financial abuse indicated a very strong, positive relationship and the three predictors were statically significant. The study concludes that there are risk factors that influence financial abuse. It also concludes that the financial abuses inflicted on the women causes them to devise coping mechanisms to alleviate the impacts of the financial abuses. The study recommends that the issue of financial abuse on women needs a multifaceted approach involving various stakeholders in the society. Those problems can be handled through workshops/seminars, discussions in the media, discussions in the media, community discussions and inclusion in the school syllabus. The discussions and target agenda should revolve around sensitizing both genders to act responsibly but also to give rights and obligations for each as well as inform the women on the possible places they could seek for help.