“How much did my sister’s death cost?” $9.3 billion, says an economic cost report

The cost of Michal’s death to her and the rest of her family is infinite and unquantifiable, but Ben-Ami wanted those who did not know her, especially those in power, to understand the cost in a tangible way. “I wanted to know the exact economic cost of my sister’s death and femicide as a larger phenomenon. I thought if I could show this to decision-makers, I might be able to convince them to put money into prevention,” she says.

According to a new report commissioned by Ben-Ami and the Michal Sela Forum entitled “Estimating the Economic Cost of Intimate Partner Violence in Israel,” the total cost of the phenomenon is a staggering NIS 34 billion ($9.3 billion). . The forum commissioned researchers from Social Finance Israel (SFI), a nonprofit impact investment organization, to conduct the research and received funding from technology company Fiverr.

Among the key findings of the report – the first of its kind in Israel – is that the cost of IPV to the state over the duration of the abuse is NIS 451,000 (US$123,000), while each murder victim costs NIS 8.2 million ( 2.2 million US dollars). Calculated costs include legal proceedings, health care, mental health treatment, welfare, job loss and child care.

Taking into account additional intangible costs, including pain, suffering and expenses for meeting the needs of the victims’ children, the total cost is estimated to be significantly higher: NIS 730,000 (US$200,000) – NIS 1.5 million (US$412,000) per survivor for the duration of the abuse and 13.7 NIS (3.7 million US dollars) – 16.2 million NIS (4.4 million US dollars) for a murdered woman.

One of the report’s most shocking findings is the share of the economic burden borne by the public and how much of that is actually spent on victim services. About 57% of the costs associated with femicide are borne by the public, with almost all of the amount spent on the prosecution and imprisonment of the perpetrator, as well as lost productivity.

For IPV survivors, 40% of the associated costs are borne by the public. Most of these public funds (60%) go toward enforcement and incarceration, with victims’ physical and mental health care accounting for only 27% of the total cost and victim welfare services accounting for only 8% of the cost.

The report makes clear that not only does the public bear a large share of the financial burden of IPV and the majority of the costs of femicide, but that the lion’s share of these funds goes not to prevention or even care for victims but to prosecution, imprisonment and treatment the perpetrator.

The number of IPV victims in Israel is estimated at 149,700 to 160,100. However, the report emphasizes that these figures are extremely conservative and the numbers are likely much higher. The Central Bureau of Statistics estimates that 59% of victims of violence against women or women at risk of violence do not report it – a figure that rises to 84% for sexual violence. According to the new report, “there is a worrying gap between the true prevalence of violence against women and the cases known to authorities,” says Achinoam Zigel, senior director of economics and finance at SFI.

Ben-Ami says that in Israel, where the last comprehensive report on domestic violence was produced in 2001, data on domestic violence is still “primitive.” According to the Michal Sela Forum, from October 7, 2023 to October 7, 2024, 18 women were murdered in domestic violence incidents, 14 of them by their partners, an increase of 17% compared to the same period last year.

To inform the public about the widespread nature of the phenomenon and to motivate policy change, similar reports measuring the economic costs of domestic violence have been produced over the past twenty years in numerous OECD countries, particularly in Europe and North America. “So far, the discussion about domestic violence in Israel has been framed in moral or ethical terms,” says Yaron Neudorfer, CEO of SFI. “This is the first time it is being discussed in Israel from an economic perspective and shows what it is costing the public.”

For Ben-Ami, this report is a step towards her goal of eradicating femicide. On Monday, she will appear before the Knesset Committee on the Advancement of Women, led by Rep. Pnina Tamano-Shata, to present the report and its findings. Its goal is to convince decision-makers of the economic and social urgency of prioritizing prevention.

“I want at least a third of the domestic violence budget to go toward preventive solutions,” she says. “It makes no sense that the only solution in 2024 is to fund shelters for victims. This is of course important, but we also have to use all our resources to prevent this from happening in the first place.”

Their vision is that domestic violence should be treated as a national health and security issue and given the same priority as terrorism. She believes a centralized body is essential to focus on the problem, oversee prevention efforts and mobilize government resources to implement solutions.

“My dream is that no woman will be beaten or murdered in their homes by the person who is supposed to keep them safe. One day society will look back on this time the same way we look at slavery or corporal punishment and ask, ‘How could this ever have been allowed?'”