Background

Financial abuse, the most insidious form of domestic violence, affects approximately 40% of Australians. 

The Commonwealth Bank, holding nearly 50% of the customers in Australia, felt a responsibility to help end it. 

CHALLENGE

In domestic violence, money can be used as a weapon to control, coerce and isolate victims until they literally cannot afford to leave their abusers. 

In Australia, approximately one in four women and one in thirteen men have experienced violence by an intimate partner. Among those who seek support, up to 90% are also affected by financial abuse.

Despite the valuable work of Australia’s 3000 charities and services designed to help victims of abuse, the source of the problem is often out of reach. Money.

sOLUTION

Introducing CommBank’s Next Chapter. A nationwide program to help end financial abuse and create a resource hub available to all Australians regardless of who they bank with. 

In partnership with Good Shepherd, we made sure anyone who has been financially controlled, tracked, or abused, could access confidential support through free one-on-one financial coaching, tools, and assistance. As part of this, victim-survivors of abuse were given interest-free loans to empower and help them. No matter who they banked with. 

And most importantly, we used our access as a bank to go to the source of the problem. And help ensure money is no longer used as a weapon.