“It’s a weapon that keeps people trapped in abusive relationships” Serena Williams on the perils of financial abuse

“It’s a weapon that keeps people trapped in abusive relationships” Serena Williams on the perils of financial abuse

Serena Williams

23-time grand slam champion Serena Williams is a force to be reckoned with. Alongside elder sister Venus, she went about shattering glass ceilings of a white-dominated sport as a mere teenager. In a career spanning well over two decades, Serena has accomplished a lot.

She has won a collective 39 grand slams, multiple Olympic gold medals, and has been world no. 1 for 319 weeks. In September of 2017, Serena, along with Husband (then boyfriend) Alexis Ohanian, welcomed daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr into the world.

Apart from her stronghold on the tennis court, Serena is a fierce social advocate. Having grown up walking the tightrope of blatant racial bias and openly misogynistic slurs, she has made a name for herself as an outspoken athlete. One of the many topics that she has declared close to her heart is the financial abuse faced by women.

‘Want to use my voice to help tell their stories’ – Serena Williams extends help to financially abused women

Serena Williams
Serena Williams

A few years ago, Serena Williams had joined forces with the All States Foundation for the Purple Purse initiative. In it, the tennis star designed a bag, the proceeds from whose sale would go towards helping victims of financial abuse. In an interview afterwards, Serena emphasized on the fact that sometimes, a bad situation is not your fault, and that anyone can fall pray to abuse.

“There’s a lot of other women out there that could be my daughter or my sister that are in an [abusive] situation. You never know…Sometimes you meet a person and they’re amazing and a week later or a month later or a couple years later they turn out to be something different, and it’s not [your] fault” she said.

Serena Williams told Glamour magazine “When I signed up three years ago, I was really shocked by the statistics. It’s basically every single case [of domestic violence]. When you think about that way, it’s like, ‘How did I not know about it? What can I do to bring my voice to it and talk about it?’ I hope that people can learn the common signs of financial abuse and that if people are victims, they know that there are resources like purplepurse.com out there to help. I want people to know about the horrors of financial abuse.”

She further added that “I feel really lucky to be among such powerful women. It’s important for me to use my voice to support them and help tell their stories. Together we can help other women.”

Also Read: Will Serena Williams be playing the 2022 Australian Open?