Executive Summary
In our society, we think of intimate partner violence (IPV) as being the result of bad choices, bad luck or both. In actual fact, the number one obstacle to survivors' safety is financial insecurity. Survivors are so financially devastated by the harm they experience that they are left out of the political arena, out of organizing spaces and out of our economy. Our failed approach to the problem perpetuates the shame and silence that prohibits survivors from building collective power and influence. In partnership with thousands of survivors across the country, sharing their stories and data, FreeFrom will build an ecosystem of long-term support for survivors that includes their banks, credit card companies, health providers, and employers. We will reframe our society's understanding of the problem as a structural economic issue through federal and state laws. And, we will create spaces in which survivors can grow collective economic power.
Charity, fund, non-governmental organization, religious institution, school, or other entity
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Accomplishments
FreeFrom has met with several well-established banks and financial institutions to discuss implementation of the Survivor Safety Banking Guidelines. FreeFrom has also been working with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after hearing that having formal guidance from regulators would support banking institutions in meeting the needs of survivor customers.
In our latest report based on data from 2,500+ survivors, Support Every Survivor, we show that survivors across demographic and analytical categories consistently reported that each of the 10 guidelines would help them build financial security.
Since its launch in May of 2021, our National Survivor Financial Security Policy Map and Scorecard has made significant progress in creating momentum for widespread policy change at the state-level. With over 5k users and a 12% user return rate, it’s currently informing efforts to pass 9 pieces of legislation supporting survivor wealth across 5 states.
