Every year during the 16 Days of Activism, South Africa confronts the painful reality that gender-based violence (GBV) continues to affect women and children across every province, community and sector. At FinMark Trust, ‘going purple’ is not a once-off campaign. It is a reaffirmation of our commitment to creating safer, more equitable economic environments for women.

This year, our commitment takes on even greater urgency as South Africans participate in the 21 November National GBV March and Petition, a nationwide mobilisation demanding decisive action to end violence against women and children. We join this call wholeheartedly because the fight against GBV is not only social and moral, but also deeply economic. Women who lack access to income, digital tools and financial inclusion face heightened vulnerability, dependency and exploitation.

That is why our programmes intentionally strengthen women’s economic agency, because when women have access, opportunity and voice, they are safer.

Generating Better Livelihoods (GBL): Restoring dignity through income and skills

The GBL project, implemented across seven pilot sites in South Africa, was designed to unlock sustainable economic pathways for social grant recipients – most of whom are women.

Led by the Department of Social Development, and implemented in partnership with SASSA, the NDA, BRAC (as technical partners), key implementation stakeholders, and FinMark Trust (as the implementing lead), the GBL project provides:

  • Skills development and livelihood opportunities
  • Support for micro-enterprise creation
  • Social and psychosocial linkages
  • Job pathways and economic linkages.

For many women, the GBL becomes the first step toward financial independence – one of the strongest protective factors against GBV. Economic autonomy increases women's ability to make choices, seek safety and rebuild their lives when faced with abuse.

Digitalising Incomes for Informal and Low-income Workers: Building safe and inclusive digital payment channels for women workers

Women in low-wage service roles, including waitressing, car guarding, petrol attendants, cleaning and informal work, often rely on inconsistent cash income. Relying on cash exposes them to exploitation, harassment and unsafe interactions.

Our Digitalising Incomes for Informal and Low-income Workers project and broader inclusive payments digitalisation work aim to:

  • Reduce risks associated with cash
  • Introduce safer digital tipping systems
  • Improve women’s digital financial literacy
  • Empower women to track and secure their income.

This work is about more than the innovation. It is about protection. When women can manage and store their income safely, they are less vulnerable to violence, coercion and financial control.

Community Digitalisation: Digitalising communities and expanding women’s access to opportunity

Through the Community Digitalisation project, FinMark Trust is closing the digital divide and enabling women in townships, rural areas and informal settlements to participate in an increasingly digital economy.

The project supports:

  • Digital readiness training
  • Access to online markets
  • Support for informal enterprises
  • Digital identity and payment access.

Digital inclusion is a pathway to empowerment. When women have digital tools, they can earn income, connect with support networks, access services, and build resilience.

Gender-Disaggregated Data: Our compass for reaching women

Our work has no impact unless it reaches women meaningfully. That is why FinMark Trust is embedding gender-disaggregated data (GDD) across our organisation and partner ecosystem.

We use GDD to:

  • Identify gaps
  • Strengthen programme design
  • Support inclusive policymaking
  • Track who benefits and who is left behind.

Women must be visible in data because invisibility in data leads to invisibility in policy and practice.