Economic Violence: Women’s Financial Independence Continues to Decline
An Ifop survey conducted for Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale and the Fédération Nationale Solidarité Femmes reveals a chilling finding: in France, more than one in four women in a relationship still does not have a personal bank account. This represents a silent erosion of financial independence, which is, in fact, one of the primary defenses against domestic violence.
Every year, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is marked by distressing statistics. But the 2025 edition of the survey conducted by Ifop for Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale and the FNSF highlights a particularly troubling trend: the loss of financial independence.
According to the published findings, more than one in four women in a relationship does not have access to a personal bank account. Not only is this figure high, but it has also risen compared to the previous year—a sign that economic dynamics within couples are not evolving as quickly as public discourse might suggest.
This lack of financial independence is not merely an administrative detail. It is one of the most powerful—and least visible—mechanisms of economic abuse, a form of abuse that is still not widely recognized.
This violence takes various forms: confiscation of income, strict control over spending, taking over the joint account, or misappropriation of family savings, including those intended for the children.
All of these forms have one thing in common: they deprive women of the ability to act, to make decisions, and, above all, to leave.
Many victims explain that they are unable to leave their abusive partners because they lack personal financial resources, a secure bank account, or the means to find new housing. There is a direct link between economic dependence and the inability to escape. This explains why economic abuse is now considered a decisive factor in controlling a partner.
Without a personal bank account, there’s no room to maneuver
Contrary to popular belief, domestic violence isn’t limited to physical or psychological abuse. One of the most brutal realities is the denial of access to payment methods, which prevents victims from eating properly, getting around, saving money, or considering a path to independence.
A personal bank account—even a modest one—is often the only way out.
The Ifop survey highlights that many women have their income taken by their partners or lack independent means of payment. Without a card, without savings, and sometimes without a personal phone, they become completely dependent.
This is precisely why specialized organizations emphasize the importance of financial autonomy, which should be both a civic reflex and a legal right.
In light of this reality, Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale—the first bank to adopt the status of a “mission-driven company”—has implemented a groundbreaking initiative effective July 1, 2024: the rapid, discreet, and free opening of a personal bank account for one year for women who are victims of domestic violence, provided they are supported by the FNSF.
This account is not linked to the marital home, and it does not appear in any documents to which the spouse might have access. The goal is simple: to restore a secure financial space for those who no longer have one.
This program is not intended to resolve economic abuse, but it helps break down a key barrier: the lack of access to a bank account. In practice, this measure provides a concrete foundation for planning an escape, rebuilding a minimal savings account, or accessing social benefits independently of the abusive spouse.
A Structural Vulnerability
Economic violence is on the rise in part because financial autonomy remains unevenly distributed within couples. Managing the household budget, bank accounts, and savings continues to fall more heavily on men in many households.
Women’s financial invisibility is therefore not an anomaly: it is part of a societal norm in which, all too often, women give up their financial independence out of habit, pressure, or emotional dependence—until that renunciation becomes a trap.
For those working to combat domestic violence, the priority is now to raise awareness about these mechanisms and to ensure systematic access to a personal account.
The Ifop survey shows that economic dependence is still not sufficiently understood, even though it is one of the most tangible obstacles to the effective protection of victims.
The fight against economic violence therefore requires coordination among the banking system, public authorities, organizations, and society as a whole.
Because beyond the numbers, it is the very possibility of regaining control of one’s daily life—of paying rent, making a purchase, or taking a taxi to get away—that hinges on access to a simple bank account.
Source: Ifop survey for Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale and FNSF – 2025
