Economic abuse and the launch of the This Is Violence campaign w/ Good Shepherd's Brittany Goodwin: 9th September, 2026

Before we start, we’d just like to warn that this story mentions economic abuse and briefly touches on intimate partner violence. Aotearoa New Zealand has the highest rates of family violence in the OECD.  It’s estimated that one in three women in New Zealand have experienced physical or sexual intimate partner violence, with one in two experiencing these or psychological forms of abuse. Less well known is the role of economic abuse in family violence. It describes the  use of coercive, controlling, and threatening behaviour to restrict or remove a person’s financial freedom, autonomy, and security. Research shows that one in seven women have experienced economic abuse.  Given this lack of recognition, how well are we responding to economic abuse in Aotearoa? Good Shepherd, in close partnership with the National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges, have put together a list of recommendations to change how we approach economic abuse. Their campaign, called ‘This Is Violence’ launched just yesterday, and is looking to raise awareness of economic abuse and push for systemic changes to prevent and respond to it. So, to understand more about what economic abuse looks like, and the changes that we can make to address it, Producer Theo spoke with Good Shepherd’s Brittany Goodwin.   If you’re interested in signing the campaign that Brittany mentioned, you can find it on the ActionStation website, or through this link. if you suspect that you may be experiencing economic abuse, you can reach out to Good Shepherd on 0800 466 370 or 09 302 1643, or visit their website. You can also contact Women’s Refuge’s crisis contact line on 0800 REFUGE or 0800 733 843. In an emergency call 111. Like Brittany said, even if you’re not entirely sure what you’re experiencing is economic abuse, but something feels a bit off, give them a call, they’d love to hear from you.