Government warns of rise in financial abuse of women and people with disabilities during festive season

The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) has warned of an increased risk of financial abuse targeting women and persons with disabilities during the festive holiday period, urging communities to remain vigilant.

The department spokesperson Cassius Selala said financial abuse often intensifies during the festive season, when household expenses rise and social grants, bonuses and savings become more accessible to perpetrators.

He said forms of abuse include controlling access to money, misusing salaries or social grants, forcing debt into victims’ names and exploiting economic dependence.

Selala stressed that economic abuse is recognised under South African law as a form of domestic violence and should be treated with the same seriousness as physical abuse.

“Financial abuse is not only an economic violation; it is a form of control and intimidation used to silence women and persons with disabilities. During the festive season, when financial pressures increase, so does the risk,” he said.

According to Selala, many women and persons with disabilities are denied access to their own income, savings and government benefits during this period, while others are pressured to fund holiday expenses as partners or family members misuse household finances.

The DDWYPD has called for increased community awareness to help recognise and report financial abuse, as well as stronger collaboration between government departments, banks and social services to detect and prevent financial exploitation. It also urged the protection of social grants and personal income from misuse by relatives or partners.

The department further highlighted the need to strengthen economic empowerment programmes, particularly for women with disabilities, to reduce vulnerability and dependence.

“This festive season, we remind South Africans that gender-based violence is not only physical. Financial control is a powerful tool of oppression. We must work together to ensure women, especially women with disabilities, remain safe, supported and financially independent,” Selala said.