At a glance

Intervention Programs focusing on educating women about economic abuse and developing skills and knowledge around financial literacy and management

Key populations Women currently experiencing intimate partner violence

Outcomes studied Behaviours; gender-based violence; knowledge, beliefs and attitudes; lived experience; wellbeing and emotions

Impact of the intervention Of the 4 studies, 0 outcomes received an effectiveness rating on our Effectiveness Estimate Tool

Australian Evidence 1 study presented findings from Australia and included the experiences of Aboriginal people

Risk of bias Of the studies with available quantitative data, we rated 2 as moderate-high risk of bias on the Risk of Bias Tool

Intervention description

What are the key characteristics of the intervention?

Financial education programs seek to build women’s understanding of economic abuse and its impact and develop skills and knowledge around financial literacy and management. The overarching aim is to provide women experiencing intimate partner violence with the tools and resources needed to leave an abusive relationship and become financially independent.

The educational nature of these interventions means participants learn about disentangling joint accounts, repairing damaged credit, locating safety and financial resources and developing economic safety plans. Other topics cover basic financial management and processes including budgeting, banking, investments, loan applications, bankruptcy filings and running credit scores.

The curriculum for these programs is often available in both English and Spanish, with some offering flexibility in terms of online delivery options and the frequency and duration of sessions being determined by individual sites based on the needs of the women engaged with the service.

What does the intervention involve?

Where is the intervention set? Specialist domestic violence services

How is the intervention delivered? Primarily face-to-face in both individual and group formats by domestic violence agency staff trained to administer the curriculum, with some online options available

How frequently is the intervention delivered? Flexible frequency and duration, based on a range of 5x 1-hour modules and 4 to 8 weekly 1- to 2-hour sessions which may be determined as per the needs of individual sites

What resources and costs are involved? 0 studies commented on the costs associated with the intervention

Theory of change

How is the intervention designed or theorised to work?

Many of the studies argue that financial education programs could empower victims and survivors to gain financial security and independence by helping them understand economic abuse and develop the skills and confidence needed to leave abusive relationships or remain separated.

One evaluation utilised the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), which suggests that behavioural change is determined by a person’s intention to change or perform a behaviour and their perceived behavioural control, also referred to as self-efficacy or perceived ability to perform the behaviour (Johnson, 2018). Another evaluation utilised the reasoned action approach, a manifestation of TPB, which suggests that other factors including a person’s attitudes, norms, beliefs and skills, as well as self-efficacy influence their intentions to change or perform a behaviour (Postmus et al., 2015).

Impact

This section speaks to the effectiveness of the studies.

The outcomes measured by the included studies include behaviours (specifically financial behaviours), gender-based violence (intimate partner violence), knowledge, beliefs and attitudes (financial knowledge and general self-efficacy), lived experience (validation), and wellbeing (financial strain and mastery).

Two studies with control groups were both rated as moderate-high risk of bias. These studies tended to be rated as a high or moderate risk of bias on the ANROWS-IRIS domains of selection bias and withdrawals and drop-outs. For example, some studies did not report their target population, or sampled participants from biased sources.

Given the relatively high risk of bias of these studies, the impact of this intervention cannot be determined at this stage.

Key populations

Has the impact of this intervention been tested with certain key populations?

This Intervention Review assessed the impact of financial education programs for women currently experiencing intimate partner violence. These programs were delivered to adult women and were not designed for any specific cultural or ethnic group, people with physical or mental disabilities or health conditions. The content delivered in some programs was translated into Spanish to make it accessible for Spanish-speaking people in the United States.

The table below gives an overview of whether or not the intervention was examined with some key populations. The inclusion of these populations was guided by the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032 and The Australian National Research Agenda to End Violence against Women and Children (ANRA) 2023–2028.

🔴 (red dot) = no studies
🟡 (yellow dot) = at least 1 study mentions that population, but effectiveness was not tested with that population
🟢 (green dot) = at least 1 study tests effectiveness with the population

Population	What do we know about this group?	Degree of knowledge
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities	1 study included Aboriginal women who made up over a quarter of the sample
Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) groups	4 studies included women from CALD backgrounds who made up over half of the sample, specifically Latina/Hispanic and African American women
Sexuality and gender diverse / LGBTIQA+	0 studies examine the effectiveness with this population
Specific age groups (including older people, children and young people)	0 studies examine the effectiveness with this population
Migrants and refugees	0 studies examine the effectiveness with this population
People with disability	0 studies examine the effectiveness with this population

Key considerations

This section summarises factors that may contribute to study results, factors that may be considered to facilitate better outcomes, and the transferability of the intervention to an Australian context.

What do we know about the intervention in Australia?

1 of 4 studies presented findings from Australia. The other studies were based in the United States. The Australian study provides the following insights:

• Almost half of the participants in the Australian study were from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds and spoke English as a second language, and women who identified as Aboriginal made up over a quarter of the sample.
• Whilst the curriculum considered cultural differences and received positive feedback from the participants, the authors recommended that future iterations include material specific to Indigenous and CALD women.

• Identified challenges to program delivery include staff facilitation capacity, recruiting and retaining participants, and establishing trust in the group to discuss sensitive issues.

• Recommendations for program delivery include helping women validate and understand their experiences through open discussions rather than didactic methods, having two cofacilitators, and offering flexible delivery options at regular intervals.

• Women from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are statistically more likely to experience gender-based violence with greater severity of violence and higher levels of injury and hospitalisation than women from non-Indigenous communities. Further, collectivist ideals of Australian Indigenous cultures, in which money is seen as something that is shared, can mean that victims and survivors are expected to financially contribute to the extended family regardless of their capacity to do so. This can exacerbate any existing financial hardship and may also result in women being ostracised from the family and/or losing informal supports, such as care for children, if they cannot afford to contribute financially.

• Prevalence rates of gender-based violence among women from CALD backgrounds are mixed. This may be because CALD women are less likely to report violence to police and may also experience difficulties accessing services due to concerns about services being able to understand and appropriately respond to their circumstances. However, CALD women are reportedly increasingly using Australian refuges to escape violence and are staying for longer periods of time. Further, CALD women must navigate language, cultural and citizenship barriers, such as those on partner visas who face restrictions that limit their ability to work, access income support and find stable accommodation if they leave their partners.

What should Australian stakeholders consider?

• It is important to note that the programs were delivered to women already in contact with services, meaning that it is unclear whether similar financial education programs would help women not yet in contact with services.

• Although the intervention has been tested with some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, CALD groups, more research is needed in Australia. Further, stakeholders must consider the local context and community needs before implementing financial education programs because results could be vastly different from one community to another.
• Although the programs were not designed for certain populations, most of the participants in the US studies were from CALD backgrounds, specifically Latina/Hispanic and African American, who made up over half of the sample. This means that these programs have predominantly been tested with particularly vulnerable groups who are more likely to be economically dependent on their abuser due to lower wages and fewer economic opportunities.
• Generally, the curriculum from the US programs is transferrable to Australian audiences; however, content specific to financial systems and processes will need to be modified to reflect Australian financial institution standards.
• This intervention involves training existing domestic violence agency staff to administer the curriculum, often using train-the-trainer models. It was not possible to determine the cost effectiveness given none of the studies reported on the costs associated with implementation.
• Generally, the intervention involves individual and group sessions of up to 1 or 2 hours over several weeks. Some programs allow the length and frequency of sessions to be determined by each site as appropriate for the women who are engaged with the site. Implementors should consider the dosage of the intervention to balance time commitment with positive outcomes.
• Recently, Australian financial institutions have increasingly joined the movement to end violence against women within one generation, with many enacting domestic and family violence policies in relation to financial abuse and offering assistance and support to victims and survivors. While the programs included in this review were designed and implemented by specialist domestic violence services, further research is needed to develop and test financial education programs that have been co-designed with financial institutions such as banks, credit unions, insurance companies, accountants and advisors.

Included studies

Characteristics of primary studies included in the Intervention Review

Study and location	Design	Intervention	Sample	Outcome categories
Postmus et al. (2012) United States	Single group post-only study Comparison: N/A Qualitative data: No	Moving Ahead Through Financial Management, financial education program covering economic abuse and its impact, financial literacy, tools and resources Duration and format: Individual and group sessions delivered face-to-face, facilitator and duration not reported Setting: Specialist domestic violence service Costs: Not reported	N=121 Adult women, 55% White	Gender-based violence; wellbeing and emotions
Postmus et al. (2015); Postmus et al. (2013); Hetling et al. (2016); Hoge & Postmus (2015); Lin (2021); Johnson (2018, 2021) Puerto Rico and United States	Randomised controlled trial Comparison:No treatment Qualitative data: No	Moving Ahead Through Money Management, financial education program comprising 5 modules covering financial literacy, financial processes, and leaving abusive relationships including splitting joint accounts, repairing damaged credit, locating safety and financial resources and safety plans Duration and format: 4–8 weekly 1–2-hour group sessions and a single 30–60-minute individual session delivered face-to-face by domestic violence agency staff trained to administer the curriculum Setting: Specialist domestic violence service Costs: Not reported	N=457 Adult women, 60% Latina or Hispanic	Behaviours; knowledge, beliefs and attitudes; lived experience; wellbeing and emotions
Sanders et al. (2007) United States	Quasi-experimental study Comparison: Waitlist Qualitative data: No	Realizing Your Economic Action Plan, financial education program covering money and power, cost-of-living plan, building and repairing credit, banking and investing, and oppression and abuse Duration and format: Individual and group sessions delivered face-to-face by domestic violence agency staff, duration not reported Setting: Specialist domestic violence service Costs: Not reported	N=67 Adult women, 73% African American	Knowledge, beliefs and attitudes; wellbeing and emotions
Warren et al. (2019) Australia	Single group pre-post study Comparison: N/A Qualitative data: Yes	Economic Empowerment for Women Experiencing Domestic and Family Violence, financial education program comprising 3 modules covering economic abuse, relationship with money, and skills and knowledge around management and literacy Duration and format: Group sessions delivered face-to-face by domestic violence agency staff trained to administer the curriculum using a train-the-trainer format, length and frequency of sessions determined by each site Setting: Specialist domestic violence service Costs: Not reported	N=12 Adult women, 27% Indigenous, almost 50% identified as CALD	Gender-based violence; wellbeing and emotions

References and further reading

Included studies

• Hetling, A., Postmus, J. L., & Kaltz, C. (2016). A randomized controlled trial of a financial literacy curriculum for survivors of intimate partner violence. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 37 (4), 672–685. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-015-9479-7


• Hoge, G. L., & Postmus, J. L. (2015). Evaluating the impact of the “Moving Ahead through Financial Management” curriculum: Final report – interviews with immigrant Latina participants. https://socialwork.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/2022-05/final-report-immigrant-latinas.pdf


• Johnson, L. (2018). Increasing financial empowerment for survivors of intimate partner violence: a longitudinal evaluation of a financial knowledge curriculum [Doctoral dissertation, Rutgers University]. Rutgers University Libraries. https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rutgers-lib/57623/


• Johnson, L. (2021). Increasing financial empowerment among survivors of intimate partner violence: A growth curve analysis. American Journal of Community Psychology, 68(1-2), 29-46, https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12491


• Lin, H. F. (2021). Female survivors of intimate partner violence: financial strain, depression, and financial education intervention [Doctoral dissertation, Rutgers University]. Rutgers University Libraries. https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rutgers-lib/66779/


• Postmus, J. L., Hetling, A., & Hoge, G. (2013). Evaluating the impact of the “Moving Ahead through Financial Management” curriculum: A randomized control study. Final report – survivor interview data. https://socialwork.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/2022-05/final-report-survivors-4.pdf


• Postmus, J. L., Hetling, A. L., & Hoge, G. (2015). Evaluating a financial education curriculum as an intervention to improve financial behaviors and financial well-being of survivors of domestic violence: Results from a longitudinal randomized controlled study. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 49(1), 250-266. https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12057


• Postmus, J. L., Plummer, S. B., McMahon, S., Murshid, S., Kim, N. S., & Sung, M. (2012). Understanding economic abuse in the lives of survivors. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 27(3), 411-430. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260511421669


• Sanders, C. K., Weaver, T. L., & Schnabel, M. (2007). Economic education for battered women: An evaluation of outcomes. Journal of Women and Social Work, 22(3), 240-254. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886109907302261


• Warren, A., Marchant, T., Schulze, D., Chung, D. (2019). From economic abuse to economic empowerment: Piloting a financial literacy curriculum with women who have experienced domestic and family violence. Journal of Women and Social Work, 34(4), 498-517, http://doi.org/10.1177/0886109919868828

Additional evidence on the intervention

This list contains other evidence that was not eligible for the Intervention Review based on our selection criteria but may provide further information regarding the intervention.

• Cardenas, I., Johnson, L., & Postmus, J. L. (2022). Improving quality of life among Latina intimate partner violence survivors through economic empowerment. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(15-16), NP14564-NP14587. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605211013958


• Ciorba VonDeLinde, K., & Correia, A. (2005). Economic Education Programs for Battered Women: Lessons Learned from Two Settings. https://vawnet.org/sites/default/files/materials/files/2016-07/BCS18_EP.pdf


• Davila, A. L., Johnson, L., & Postmus, J. L. (2021). Examining the relationship between economic abuse and mental health among Latina intimate partner violence survivors in the United States. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(1/2), NP287-NP310. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260517731311


• Eggers del Campo, I., & Steinert, J. I. (2022). The effect of female economic empowerment interventions on the risk of intimate partner violence: A systematic review and meta-analysis Trauma, Violence, and Abuse, 23(3), 810-826. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838020976088


• Gendered Violence Research Network. (2020). Understanding economic and financial abuse in intimate partner relationships. https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/bitstream/1/ 20707/1/UNSW-report1-Financial-Abuse-and-IPV-newsroom.pdf


• John, N. A., Adebayo, A., Boychuk, N. A., & OlaOlorun, F. (2022). Intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention using a cross-sectoral couple-based intervention: results from a cluster randomised control trial in Ibadan, Nigeria BMJ Global Health, 7(2), e007192 https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2021-007192


• Kutin, J. (2019). Improving the financial capacity and financial confidence of women in Victoria. https://www.wire.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Rapid-Literature-review-final.pdf


• Launius, E. S. (2021). Domestic violence advocates describe the financial education program: A qualitative descriptive study [Doctoral dissertation, Grand Canyon University]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.


• Lundgren, R., & Amin, A. (2015). Addressing intimate partner violence and sexual violence among adolescents: Emerging evidence of effectiveness. Journal of Adolescent Health, 56(1, Suppl), S42-S50, https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.08.012


• Planigale, M., Clapp, C., & Rosauer, K. (2016). Quietly changing lives: Summary report of the Firmer Foundations evaluation.


• Poby, K. E. (2010). Women's financial future: A financial literacy program for incarcerated women. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering, 71(6-B), 3944


• Pollet, S. L. (2011). Economic abuse: The unseen side of domestic violence. New York State Bar Association Journal, 83(2), 40-44.


• Postmus, J. L. (2010). Economic Empowerment of Domestic Violence Survivors. https://vawnet.org/sites/default/files/materials/files/2016-09/AR_EcoEmpowerment.pdf


• Postmus, J. L., Silva-Martinez, E., Hetling, A., & Danis, F. (2013). Evaluating the impact of the “Moving Ahead through Financial Management” curriculum: The advocate perspective. Final report – Advocate survey data. https://socialwork.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/2022-05/final-report-advocates.pdf


• Russell, R., Stewart, M., Kutin, J., & Rankin, G. (2016). MoneyMinded impact report 2016. The role of financial education in a family violence context. https://www.anz.com.au/content/dam/anzcomau/documents/pdf/aboutus/money-minded-report-2016.pdf


• Silva-Martínez, E., Stylianou, A. M., Hoge, G. L., Plummer, S., McMahon, S., & Postmus, J. L. (2016). Implementing a financial management curriculum with survivors of IPV: Exploring advocates’ experiences. Affilia, 31(1), 112-128. http://doi.org/10.1177/0886109915608218


• Stylianou, A. M. (2018). Economic abuse within intimate partner violence: A review of the literature. Violence and Victims, 33(1), 3-22. https://doi.org/10.1891/0886-6708.vv-d-16-00112


• Stylianou, A. M. Counselman-Carpenter, E. Redcay, A. (2019). Developing a financial literacy program with survivors of intimate partner violence: The voices of survivors. Social Work, 64(4), 311-320, https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swz034