The Economic Coercion Scale-20 (ECS-20) is a 20-item measure capturing women's experiences of economic coercion in their intimate relationships. It captures the husband’s interference with wife’s (1) acquisition of economic resources and (2) use or maintenance of economic resources. This is the short form of the ECS-36 scale.
Geographies Tested: Bangladesh
Populations Included: Female
Age Range: Adolescents, Adults
Has your husband or partner ever:
1. Disallowed you to go to your work, school or training, or do any home-based income earning activity.
2. Told you that you could work outside the home only if you kept up with the housework.
3. Told you that you could earn income only if you worked from home.
4. Been wary that you might meet other men when you leave the house for work, school or training.
5. Threatened to hurt you or your children, or threatened to throw you out or abandon you if you worked.
6. Told you that women shouldn't work outside the home.
7. Refused to allow you to continue any education or training after marriage.
8. Forbidden you from becoming a microcredit member, group savings member, or opening a bank account.
9. Demanded that you quit your job, schooling or training.
10. Hidden money so that you could not find it.
11. Made you fear the consequences if you asked him for money.
12. Made you ask him for money for special purchases, such as cosmetics, sari/dresses or special food for guests.
13. Refused to give you money to buy food, clothes or other necessities, even when he had the money.
14. Blown through/spoiled money despite household needs.
15. Decided how you should spend money rather than letting you spent it how you saw fit.
16. Made important financial decisions without talking with you about them first.
17. Taken your money from you without your permission or knowledge.
18. Beaten you up if you challenged his financial decisions.
19. Pawned or sold your own or your shared belongings or property without your knowledge or consent.
20. Not given you money so that you had to take out loans to cover household expenses.
Response Options:
Ever - yes, no
In the past 12 months - yes, no
If answered yes for the past 12 months:
1-2 times in the past 12 months
3-5 times in the past 12 months
5+ times in the past 12 months
Not Available
Miedema, S. S., Cheong, Y. F., Naved, R. T., & Yount, K. M. (2023). Development and validation of the Economic Coercion Scale-20 (ECS-20): A short-form of the ECS-36. PLoS One, 18(10), e0287963. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287963
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