Business Daily: "Fighting Economic Abuse"
BBC World Service, Hosted by Felicity Hannah
Date: September 30, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode of Business Daily delves into the often invisible yet devastating phenomenon of economic (or financial) abuse within intimate relationships. Host Felicity Hannah, alongside survivors, experts, and advocates, explores how controlling a partner's access to money, credit, and resources can trap victims—most often women—in dangerous and lasting abuse. The discussion spans personal stories, the struggle for global awareness, legal and financial system responses, and the emerging hope for change.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Defining Economic Abuse
- Economic Abuse refers to the control of a person's financial resources, limiting their independence and ability to escape abusive situations.
- Recognized forms include restricting access to money, stealing income, exploiting debt, sabotaging jobs, and destroying property.
"Economic abuse is the use of money and the things that money can buy... to control another person. That control usually takes three different forms: restriction, exploitation, and sabotage."
— Dr. Nicola Sharp Jeffs [07:46]
Timestamps:
- [07:46] Dr. Sharp Jeffs outlines forms of economic abuse: restriction (preventing work or access to money), exploitation (taking income, creating debt), and sabotage (causing job loss, destroying credit or property).
2. A Survivor’s Story: Mary’s Experience
- Mary (a pseudonym), UK-based, describes her journey from what appeared to be a normal relationship to increasing control, violence, and total dependence through economic abuse.
- Control started subtly, with social isolation and restricted spending, before escalating to violence and threats.
"Financially, I was controlled by him because he was the one with the money and I was working with him, so I didn't have anything of my own."
— Mary [02:28]
"There was a lot of shouting at me and telling me how rubbish I was... he broke my arm ... he brought a knife out and threatened me."
— Mary [04:11]
- Lack of personal financial means prevented her from leaving sooner.
- Only after police intervention and external validation did she recognize her experience as abuse.
Timestamps:
- [02:16] Mary recounts the progression from love to control.
- [03:46] She describes being given an allowance with strict controls on spending.
- [04:03] Shares threatening and violent incidents.
- [05:02] Explains why lack of money kept her trapped.
- [05:26] Realized only later that it was abuse after years and after police involvement.
- [06:30] How she left: leveraging a brief separation, free legal advice, starting her own business.
3. Prevalence, Risks, and Impact
- Up to 95% of domestic abuse cases involve financial control.
- Economic abuse often goes unrecognized due to lack of physical violence; victims and institutions can overlook it.
- Women are most often targeted; risk is higher for those with additional social vulnerabilities (disability, ethnicity).
"One of the reasons why it's taken us so long to talk about economic abuse is because people don’t think it's particularly dangerous ... but economic abuse really does underpin physical safety."
— Dr. Nicola Sharp Jeffs [09:40]
- Economic dependency increases both physical danger and psychological harm; can lead to escalated violence and even fatalities.
- Damaged credit and financial instability can persist long after leaving.
Timestamps:
- [07:06] Felicity shares charity statistic: 95% of abuse cases include financial control.
- [09:12] Dr. Sharp Jeffs explains why women, especially those with multiple inequalities, are at higher risk.
- [09:40] She describes the direct links between economic abuse and further physical/emotional danger.
4. The Global Context: Growing Recognition and Challenges
- Women globally are becoming more economically active, but this rise can paradoxically increase the risk or intensity of economic abuse.
- Societal norms can intensify abusive responses when women "out-earn" male partners.
"Now, if you’re gonna get to a household and the woman earns more, then with the social stereotypical norms... abusers get the motivation. Because now there’s absolutely no way that you’re going to be running my house just because you earn more than me."
— Samila Gagoba [12:49]
- In South Africa, as elsewhere, perpetrators use legal loopholes during divorce to increase financial pressure (e.g., stalling, passing debt).
Timestamps:
- [11:51] Samila Gagoba discusses trends as women’s earning power rises.
- [13:42] She notes low awareness of financial abuse as "real" abuse.
- [13:37] Traditional gender roles used to justify and intensify abuse.
5. Systemic Responses: The Role of Financial Institutions
- Banks and lenders are waking up to the reality of economic abuse; simply naming the problem is the first step toward solutions.
- Financial products (joint accounts, credit lines) can be weaponized by abusers.
- Institutions can respond by training staff, developing clear procedures, and redesigning products to limit exploitation.
"Now that we've defined [economic abuse], they can think about how to address it... Joint accounts, for example, are usually the most weaponized. How can you design mortgages, joint savings accounts in ways that limit the way somebody can use that form of financial service to harm somebody?"
— Bobby Gray [16:28]
- There's a growing movement to create safer, more responsive banking environments for survivors.
Timestamps:
- [14:53] Bobby Gray describes recognition among banks—labeling the behavior helps.
- [16:24] She explains practical steps: raising awareness, staff training, product design changes.
6. Progress, Hopes, and Moving Forward
- 113 countries now have laws regarding economic abuse—though implementation varies.
- The UN Human Rights Council recently called for more action.
- Recognizing, defining, and educating about economic abuse is essential for prevention and support.
Final Message:
"Don't lose hope. Whatever it is you want to do with your life, you will be able to get out of that situation, and you will be able to go on and build a life that you're proud of and that you love."
— Mary [18:34]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
"Financially, I was controlled by him because he was the one with the money ... so I didn't have anything of my own."
— Mary [02:28] -
"If you want to leave someone who’s abusing you, but you don’t physically have the means to do so... you can’t leave and therefore you have to stay in a situation which is harmful."
— Dr. Nicola Sharp Jeffs [09:40] -
"Now that we've defined it, they can think about how to address it."
— Bobby Gray [14:53]
Major Segments (with Timestamps)
- [01:09] — Introduction to economic abuse
- [02:16] — Mary tells her story
- [05:23] — Realizing it's abuse only years later
- [06:30] — Mary’s escape and rebuilding
- [07:46] — Dr. Nicola Sharp Jeffs defines economic abuse
- [09:34] — Why women, especially those with multiple vulnerabilities, are more at risk
- [11:51] — Samila Gagoba on trends in South Africa and lack of awareness
- [14:53] — Bobby Gray on banks recognizing and responding to economic abuse
- [17:49] — Hopeful statistics (laws, international movement), final thoughts
Conclusion
"Fighting Economic Abuse" exposes not only the insidious ways in which financial control can devastate lives but also the growing recognition and collective momentum to address it. Real stories—including Mary’s powerful journey from survivor to entrepreneur—combined with expert analysis, urge listeners to notice, name, and confront economic abuse, while highlighting nascent changes from legal, social, and financial sectors. Ultimately, the episode inspires hope: with awareness, support, and determination, escape and recovery are possible.