Recently The Toronto Star interviewed me for an article that appeared in that newspaper today. During the interview we talked about my life but the reporter, Trish Crawford, was also interested in why financial literacy skills are so important for women.

I told Trish financial literacy is especially important for women who are in abusive relationships. Having bank accounts and credit cards in their own name is their safety net to be able to leave the relationship.

The abuser controls the finances as a means of control over the victim. Economic abuse is a device used by the abuser which prevents the victim from leaving as the victim does not have any financial resources of her own. If the victim has no financial resources she is stuck in the relationship and the abuser knows it.  

I also told her that if we are to try to reduce the incidences of domestic violence we need to start to teach our young women financial literacy skills starting in high school. If a young woman has confidence in her abilities to manage her own money, that confidence is going to also provide her with self-esteem. She’s not going to allow someone to control her finances or her life.

You can read the entire interview http://www.thestar.com/living/article/850714--wall-street-executive-battered-wife.