Domestic violence which is also a form of gender based violence includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional or psychological abuse as well as economic abuse, harassment, intimidation or damage to property. Women and children mostly fall prey to gender based violence in comparison to men. This article is therefore aimed at addressing economic abuse against heterosexual women in love relationships or marriage.
According to the Domestic Violence Act cap 28: 05 S2 economic violence is defined as the ‘the deprivation or threat thereof of economic resources to which the applicant is entitled under the law, or which the applicant requires out of necessity, including household necessities for the applicant and any child, and mortgage bond repayments or rental payments of the residence; or the disposal, alienation or threat thereof of household effects or other property in which the applicant has an interest. Applicant under Section 2 of the said act refers to any person who alleges to have been subjected to domestic violence and in this article Applicant refers to a woman.
