How financial abuse traps victims of GBV

AS South Africa marks the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), our conversations often centre on bruises, broken bones, and emotional scars.

- DIEKETSENG MALEKE

Yet, there is another form of abuse that rarely makes headlines but quietly erodes lives; financial abuse.

Financial abuse is not simply about disagreements over budgeting or a partner being “bad with money.”

It is a deliberate, manipulative strategy designed to strip someone of independence, dignity, and the ability to leave a harmful situation.

It is the scaffolding upon which other forms of abuse are built. Scrolling through social media recently, I came across a post from a young woman in Cape Town who bravely shared her experience. She wrote:

“I thought I was just being supported when he asked me to quit my job. He said he’d take care of everything. But soon I had to ask for money to buy bread. He controlled every cent, and when I tried to open my own account, he drained it. I realised I wasn’t a partner in this relationship — I was a prisoner.”

Her words struck me because they echo what countless women endure in silence.