Serena Williams bringing attention to financial abuse of domestic violence victims

Tennis dominator, entrepreneur and mommy-to-be Serena Williams is taking philanthropy to the next level. Allstate Foundation Purple Purse announced that she has signed on as the program’s new ambassador.

Williams’ role with the organization includes shining a much-needed light on the role that financial abuse plays in domestic violence. Control over the money allows abusers to more easily keep their partners trapped in abusive relationships. Taking the role formerly occupied by actress and Scandal star Kerry Washington, Williams is thrilled at the platform she will have to speak to the public about how to help break the cycle of domestic violence.

“Standing up for women’s rights has long been a passion of mine,” Williams said. “I am honored to join Allstate Foundation Purple Purse to bring financial abuse and domestic violence out of the shadows and into the public conversation. I hope people will join the Purple Purse movement and work with us to end abuse against women.”

According to Purple Purse, 1 in 4 American women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime and 99 percent of all domestic violence cases involve financial abuse. Financial abuse can include abusers preventing victims from accessing or earning money. Nearly 8 in 10 Americans (78 percent) are unaware that financial abuse is a form of domestic violence.

To give the public a first view of how financial abuse affects women, the Allstate Foundation recently launched a video, Lost Purse.

“Our purpose at Allstate is to help people live their best lives, and that means continuing to raise awareness of domestic violence and empowering survivors to regain their financial independence,” said Vicky Dinges, Allstate’s senior vice president of corporate responsibility. “We are thrilled to welcome Serena, a longtime advocate and role model for so many, to the Purple Purse family. Her voice will bring new audiences into this critical conversation. Domestic violence won’t go away on its own. We need everyone’s voices — men’s and women’s — to stand up to abusers and speak on behalf of victims, because no woman deserves to live in fear.”

Allstate Foundation Purple Purse has helped more than 1 million survivors through its educational resources since 2005. The Allstate Foundation has invested more than $55 million to educate the public about financial abuse and to provide critical survivor services, including financial education, asset-building, job training and readiness programs.