The failure to fulfill the duty of providing support as economic violence in Ecuadorian law: a legal analysis (Review)

Abstract

The failure to fulfill the food obligation in Ecuador has emerged as a form of economic violence directed at women and children, leading to the perpetuation of social and economic inequity. This not only infringes fundamental rights but also reflects a manifestation of economic control and domination. Furthermore, Ecuadorian laws recognize the right to food as an essential human right, which also encompasses needs such as education, health, and housing. The failure to comply with this obligation by parents who do not have custody or guardianship of the children constitutes a violation of this right and can be considered a form of economic violence. For this reason, the article aimed to analyze the failure to comply with the duty of support as a form of economic violence in Ecuadorian law. To this end, the work used a combined methodological approach of a descriptive qualitative nature, supported by legal hermeneutic, legal hermeneutic methods, and statistical methods. This allowed us to conclude that the consequences of this violence produce catastrophic effects, which are evidenced in the physical and mental health of the victims, thus prolonging cycles of poverty, dependence, and social exclusion.