Gender violence also affects companies

According to a study by the researcher Arístides Vara, the economic impact of violence against women in the business sectors of Ecuador and Peru, 48.7% of the women who work in Ecuador has been victim of assaults, while in Peru the rate is 38.9%.

According to the author, a battered woman does not see that the damage is not  only reflected  in their health and physical integrity, but it affects the sustainability of the businesses for two reasons: the absence from work for incapacity to work, and the costs to address the problem with a specialist.

86% of micro enterprise women does not receive all their income, since they use  their working hours to attend medical appointments, which has very high costs that sometimes cost more than they earn, and when the expenses are too high there is a risk that the business will fail.

Vara also indicates that the business sector has kept their distance from this issue for considering it private. That is why public and private policies are needed to address this issue, since these would contribute to reduce abuse against women, not only in the family enviroment but also in the workplace.

A key area to be treated, according to María Eugenia Lima, President of the Foundation Family and Andean women, is the access to microcredit, to which  the Ecuadorian State destined the amount  of $2 430 until 2012, which is equivalent to 4% of the gross domestic product (GDP), however, not all manage to have access to loans with low interest rates, making it difficult to open their own business.