Mmaphuti Percy Dipela

University of South Africa, South Africa

Title: Beyond Economic Dependence: Unemployment, Income Disparities, and Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in South Africa

---

Biography

Dipela Mmaphuti Percy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of South Africa. His teaching and research interests include integrated social work practice, gender-based violence, human rights, and social welfare. He has extensive experience in teaching and learning within the welfare sector and has published academic work in local and international journals. His scholarship emphasizes socially responsive interventions that strengthen the agency and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Mrs. Rossaline Gavela Ndlovhu was a master's candidate in social work at the University of South Africa.

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a serious public health, human rights, and gender-equality challenge. In South Africa, persistent unemployment, unequal access to income, patriarchal gender relations, and the enduring socioeconomic effects of apartheid may constrain women’s choices and increase vulnerability within abusive relationships. This study explored how women’s unemployment and income disparities shape experiences of IPV and considered the implications for women’s economic empowerment and support services. A qualitative research design was adopted, guided by the Strengths Perspective and feminist theory. Participants were women who had experienced IPV and were receiving services from Agisanang Domestic Abuse Prevention and Training (ADAPT). They were selected through purposive sampling. Data were generated through individual, face-to-face semi-structured interviews using an interview guide with open-ended questions and analysed according to Tesch’s eight-step method. Trustworthiness was addressed using Guba and Lincoln’s criteria, while ethical safeguards included informed consent, voluntary participation, anonymity, confidentiality, privacy and measures to minimise harm. The findings indicate that unemployment and income disparities can heighten economic dependence, restrict women’s capacity to leave abusive relationships and compound their vulnerability to IPV. However, economic disadvantage did not operate in isolation. Participants’ experiences reflected an interaction among sociocultural expectations, patriarchal power relations, harmful alcohol use and limited educational opportunities. The study concludes that responses to IPV should combine survivor-centred psychosocial support and protection with sustainable economic-empowerment initiatives. Policies and programmes should strengthen women’s access to education, skills development, employment, income-generating opportunities and financial resources while simultaneously challenging harmful gender norms and addressing alcohol-related risks. Such integrated interventions can enhance women’s agency, reduce dependence and support longer-term pathways to safety and self-sufficiency.