I’m counting on it! Economic independence as the key to freedom

What’s the difference between a credit card and a debit card? What are the main functions of home banking? Where should one start to begin investing?

For some, these may seem like simple questions. Yet, on closer reflection, it’s important to recognize that in Italy, many people still lack the basic financial skills needed to navigate these topics with ease and to answer such questions independently.

According to data, economic independence—particularly for women—continues to face fragile and often compromised ground, largely due to insufficient financial literacy. Educational poverty in the financial sphere is not a marginal issue: according to the OECD, only 30% of Italian women say they feel confident in making financial decisions on their own. This figure becomes even more significant when viewed alongside ISTAT data showing that in 2023, over 31% of employed women earned an income below the relative poverty threshold.

These vulnerabilities are not just a matter of equity; they represent a real risk factor. Increasingly, a close link is being observed between economic dependence and the phenomenon of financial abuse: limited access to one’s own resources prevents many women from achieving independence and may trap them in abusive situations. In this context, financial education can be one of the key levers to support women’s freedom and self-determination.

The “iceberg of gender-based violence”—a metaphor often used to describe the phenomenon—has many layers. Financial abuse, still too little explored or understood, is one of them, and it is precisely on this issue that Crédit Agricole Italia has chosen to focus particular attention. The Group has taken decisive action, moving beyond mere awareness-raising around gender-based violence to concentrate more specifically on financial violence—manifested through control over access to money, restrictions on employment opportunities, or the forced management of financial resources by a partner.

According to the most recent PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) results from 2024, only 5% of Italian students reach the highest levels of financial literacy, compared to an OECD average of 11%. Crédit Agricole has therefore launched numerous educational initiatives, particularly targeting younger generations. Among these is the collaboration between CAI and Consorzio Elis: on June 20th, the GénérAction Project—a two-year initiative designed to support students in their educational and career orientation—successfully concluded. The project involved over 2,400 middle and high school students across the Group’s areas of operation, offering activities to promote educational inclusion and foster closer connections to the world of work. Initiatives included orientation sessions, financial education workshops, Open Days at Le Village by CA—the Group’s startup accelerator network—and experiential internships at regional offices. GénérAction has been a valuable tool for strengthening local ties, promoting the Group’s values, and contributing to the social and educational inclusion of the new generations.

Earlier, in March 2024, coinciding with Global Money Week—the international event dedicated to financial education—the educational program Sosteniamo il Futuro (“Supporting the Future”) concluded successfully. The initiative, promoted in partnership with the Fondazione per l’Educazione Finanziaria e al Risparmio (FEduF), reached over 2,000 high school students across thirteen Italian provinces during the school year. Through this project, Crédit Agricole Italia sought to equip younger generations with the tools necessary for personal and professional growth, fostering an economic mindset aligned with sustainable and inclusive development.

The program also included contributions from Amundi—the Group’s asset manager—and Finanz, a startup accelerated within the Village by Crédit Agricole network. Together, they delivered a learning module titled “Investing in the Future,” through which students explored key financial literacy concepts such as conscious money management, saving, budgeting, and the relationship between risk and return.

Last September, Crédit Agricole Italia took part in the twelfth edition of Il Tempo delle Donne, a leading Italian event on diversity and inclusion organized by Corriere della Sera. Among its three central themes—power, love, and money—the Group participated in two events within the latter category: the workshop “Women and Money” led by Azzurra Rinaldi, Director of the School of Gender Economics at Unitelma Sapienza University in Rome, and the panel “Equity Is Good for the World (and for Business)”, featuring Antonella Salvatori, Head of Human Resources at Crédit Agricole Italia. The event provided a vital platform for dialogue, sharing best practices, listening to experiences, and helping to shape a new vision of women’s financial autonomy.

Finally, confirming its commitment to building a systematic and concrete approach, Crédit Agricole Italia joined the ABI – Federcasse “Banks for Women’s Financial and Economic Independence” initiative, in support of the “Una donna, un lavoro, un conto” (“A woman, a job, a bank account”) project promoted by Corriere della Sera. This initiative aims to support women’s financial independence and combat financial abuse by fostering strong collaboration among institutions, businesses, and banks. Crédit Agricole’s participation will be backed by concrete actions and dedicated tools designed to generate real impact and promote women’s professional growth and development.

Because true wealth lies in the ability to choose, to grow, and to have equal opportunities in the world of work—for everyone.