The issue of domestic violence plays a significant financial role in our country. As reported by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) each year, victims of domestic violence lose a total of 8.0 million paid days of work, and our nation’s annual cost of domestic violence exceeds $8.3 billion. Following those statistics, financial stress at home is one of the most significant and consistent contributors to domestic abuse.
In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the International Financial Literacy Association (IFLA) has created the “Happy Home Initiative”. The organization has donated $10M in lifetime financial education scholarships to women around the country. The first 10,000 women to register with the website will gain free, unlimited access to many online courses on topics such as invite-only webinars, and event tickets. In doing so, IFLA hope to improve the independence and life quality of domestic violence victims. Professor Rodney Ballance’s diverse background–he is an author, financial expert, and former policeman–has helped him to observe these connections between financial stress and domestic violence.
“IFLA is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life, income and socio-economic status of individuals, businesses and organizations, through an online platform, known as IFLA University,” said Ballance. “We’ve seen the direct impact financial literacy can have and we know our platform can be the vehicle for change that our communities need during this dire time in our country.”
He has expressed great enthusiasm for “Happy Home Initiative”. He has personally witnessed the direct results that access to financial literacy can have on the lives of families and individuals. Professor Ballance is confident that financial literacy is what this country needs right now. “Happy Home Initiative” may be the first project of its kind to be launched by the IFLA, but the organization has many more planned. In the fall, IFLA will open to the public with webinars. For more information, visit: www.IFLAU.com.
