Supporting Battered Women's Economic Development: One Community's Effort

This document explores ways that the safety and well-being of battered women can be enhanced by economic advocacy that increases women's access to income, financial resources, and opportunities to save money.

It discusses a process used in St. Louis, Missouri to develop a regional coalition to support battered women's economic development. The process initiated: (1) a needs assessment with focus groups and discussions involving battered women and agency staff; and, (2) the organizing of the "Battered Women's Economic Development Task Force (BWEDTF) including creation of a structure and statement of understanding. The paper explains how the Task Force's work became organized around 2 dominant perspectives - resource development and assess development - and how this in turn led to the creation of a Battered Women's Economic Development Fund. It concludes with four recommended points to include in promoting an integrated approach to women's economic well-being. The appendix lists the organizational membership of the Task Force.

This policy and practice paper is number 14 in the NRC's Building Comprehensive Solutions to Domestic Violence (BCSDV) Initiative series. This paper is based on the work of the author who, as a graduate student in social work, used her practicum to organize the Battered Women's Economic Development Task Force in St. Louis, Missouri. This Task Force is also mentioned in the BCSDV newsletter, Volume 2, Number 1.