Indeed, for tens of millions of women around the world the World Bank and IMF policies have meant deprivation, uncertainty, and a never-ending struggle to survive. These policies have entailed increases in violence against women due to higher levels of frustration and stress within the family that have been caused by reduced income and intense financial pressures - a common occurrence in countries from Poland to South Africa to the Philippines. For an increasing number of households, things are so bad that vulnerable members such as children and the elderly are being forced onto the stree…
