EXTERNALLY FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS
Disrupting cycles of gendered violence and disadvantage
Background
While poverty affects both women and men, pathways into and out of poverty can be strongly gendered. Women’s vulnerabilities to poverty, social exclusion and deep disadvantage are strongly correlated with their experiences of violence. In one direction, women and children living in poverty are more likely to be the victims of domestic violence and abuse. In the other direction, the risk of becoming poor is significantly heightened among women who are victims of violence during childhood or adulthood. Powerlessness, social isolation and stress are at the core of both poverty and violence, and in conjunction they severely constrain women’s agency. Eradicating violence against women is therefore not only a human rights imperative, but a fundamental step in alleviating poverty and achieving gender equality.
Aim
This project will generate evidence to better understand how violence and disadvantage accumulate across the life courses of Australian women. It will provide insights on where, when and how government and non-government organisations can intervene to disrupt cycles of violence and disadvantage in women’s lives. Ultimately, this project aims to help create the conditions in which women can be free from gendered violence and have the same opportunities to realize their capabilities as men do.
Methods
The project will begin by utilising existing large-scale, longitudinal survey data, such as that from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH), the Household Income and Labour Dynamics of Australia (HILDA) Survey, and the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). These data will be analysed to produce foundational evidence addressing project objectives. As the project progresses, additional data sources and methodologies are likely to be utilised. These might include analyses of administrative and cross-country survey data, and the collection of qualitative data.