To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Ifop worked with Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale and Fédération Nationale Solidarité Femmes to continue the discussion begun last year on the subject of economic violence within couples. The results show that women’s financial dependence is on the increase, and that situations of economic violence persist.
The survey of 1,000 French women aged 18 and over reveals a financial situation that remains fragile, with a significant proportion of women in couples exposed to some form of financial dependence: 28% of them say they have no personal current account (versus 23% last year). Furthermore, 30% have no source of income other than their spouse’s, and 28% have no personal savings to cover unexpected expenses.
The study also reveals that 24% of women have already suffered economic violence at the hands of their spouse. This figure is stable compared to last year (23%), and has very real consequences for the women who have been victims: 57% have found themselves in difficulty in covering their basic needs, and 15% mention a situation of over-indebtedness or a banking ban.
Yet women in couples are aware of the importance of having a personal bank account. For 58%, it represents financial independence, for 49% protection in the event of separation, and for 41% an opportunity to save for oneself.
Since July 1, 2024, Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale has set up a free bank account for women victims of economic violence. This account, of which only the beneficiaries are aware, aims to help them regain their financial independence.
This initiative is all the more relevant given that, among women who have suffered economic violence, more than one in three spontaneously turned to their bank to meet their needs.
Download the full report in the documents section.
