Two women lost their jobs after their husband/partner intimidated their employers, according to a study on the impact of domestic violence on women’s jobs.
On the positive side, employment offered victims financial independence, making them less vulnerable. It gave them an identity in that they no longer perceived themselves as “battered women”, said Marceline Naudi, former chairman of the Commission on Domestic Violence, who had applied for EU funding to conduct the study.
Employment provided such women with a sense of achievement, when they were normally put down, Dr Naudi said.
It was an opportunity to socialise and reduce their isolation while, “sadly”, it also offered them respite from their abusive situations at home, where they lived in fear, allowing them to feel safe.
However, domestic violence also brought about employment problems, with husbands not allowing their wives to work.
Abused women ended up taking lots of sick leave and losing their jobs or resigning out of embarrassment, Dr Naudi said.
“They often beat up their women the day before an important meeting or a work interview which threatens to reduce the man’s control over them,” she said.
Men could also harass their women at the workplace by calling them every five minutes or turning up and making a scene, resulting in bosses telling their employees they could do without such problems.
The commission satisfied one of the aims on its wish list through the training in domestic violence of over 120 persons “on the ground” as it transpired that not all professionals understood exactly what it meant, Dr Naudi said.
Unfortunately, however, not many lawyers participated and those who did were women, pointed out Antoinette Gatt Rutter.
As a Family Court mediator she encountered several “caring” lawyers but there were also those who were not sensitive to the issue of domestic violence.
“We need to find a better way to work hand in hand with them as we cannot do it alone,” Ms Gatt Rutter said.
Some victims spent eight years in court and needed help not to spend so much money and time.
Ms Gatt Rutter stressed the “desperate need” to follow up cases when the women left the shelters and not just focus on crisis intervention.
It was time to reach out into the community, instead of having one unit for domestic violence, to be able to help the elderly, who could find it hard to get to it, Ms Gatt Rutter said.
Getting through to support line 179 could be “sheer hell” too, it was so busy, she added.