Global Thinking Foundation and Fondazione Marcegaglia together for economic autonomy
Economic autonomy is a fundamental component of personal autonomy. Having the tools needed to manage one’s resources, make informed decisions and build an independent path is often a determining factor in people’s well-being and freedom.
However, these skills are not always accessible to everyone. Particularly in contexts of greater vulnerability, a lack of economic and financial knowledge can become an additional factor of fragility, limiting the ability to make independent decisions and build an autonomous future.
For this reason, alongside listening, support and assistance services, the training of those who work every day alongside people facing difficult situations is playing an increasingly important role.
It is within this framework that the project “Educating for Freedom: Financial Tools to Restore Autonomy”, promoted by Fondazione Marcegaglia in collaboration with Global Thinking Foundation, was developed. The initiative involved professionals and practitioners from different local organisations, with the aim of strengthening the skills and tools needed to recognise, prevent and combat economic violence.
Fondazione Marcegaglia and Global Thinking Foundation: a partnership to strengthen economic autonomy
For many years, Fondazione Marcegaglia has supported organisations committed to combating gender-based violence and promoting the autonomy of vulnerable individuals. Alongside project support, the Foundation also invests in the training of professionals working in the sector, convinced that stronger skills can lead to more effective and informed support.
This commitment gave rise to the collaboration with Global Thinking Foundation, an organisation that promotes financial and digital literacy programmes as tools for inclusion, autonomy and the prevention of economic violence.
The training programme “Educating for Freedom: Financial Tools to Restore Autonomy” involved 38 professionals from 11 organisations operating in various Italian cities, including Mantua, Milan, Bologna, Brescia, Carrara, Naples and Reggio Emilia.
Through four sessions, participants explored topics related to money management and household finances, banking services, mortgages, loans, insurance and pensions. All the topics addressed had a practical objective: providing tools that can be used on a daily basis when supporting people experiencing economic and social vulnerability.
When violence also takes the form of controlling financial resources
According to preliminary estimates from the third edition of ISTAT’s Survey on Violence against Women, around 92,000 women living in a relationship experienced forms of economic violence in 2025. The figure increases significantly when considering past relationships, involving more than 10% of women who reported having experienced this form of abuse from a former partner.
Economic violence is often less visible than other forms of violence, yet it can have profound consequences on people’s lives. It manifests itself through the control of financial resources, restricted access to money, the inability to independently manage personal expenses or, in more serious cases, the denial of access to employment opportunities, education, healthcare or housing autonomy.
Addressing these dynamics means not only providing support to victims, but also strengthening the skills of those who accompany them on their path out of violence. It is from this awareness that the programme promoted by Fondazione Marcegaglia and Global Thinking Foundation was born.
Skills that become tools for autonomy
Economic and financial skills can represent a concrete tool for autonomy for women undertaking a path away from violence. This emerged strongly from the testimonies of the professionals involved in the project.
As Marta Gallina, Francesca Catellani and Mariachiara Piccinini from Cooperativa Sociale Madre Teresa in Reggio Emilia explain, the programme provided an opportunity to deepen skills that are often taken for granted but are essential for building independence and the freedom to make choices.
“Understanding a bank account, managing a budget and using savings consciously are far from obvious skills, yet they are fundamental for building autonomy, independence and the ability to choose. (…) At the same time, the exchange and collaboration with other professionals working every day alongside women on their journey out of violence made the experience even more meaningful, creating a space for concrete and productive sharing.”
The educators also highlighted the value of engaging with other professionals involved daily in supporting women on their journey out of violence, underlining how the exchange of experiences and good practices represented one of the most significant aspects of the entire training programme.
From economic autonomy to housing autonomy
The programme concluded on 25 May at Fondazione Marcegaglia’s headquarters in Milan with a day dedicated to the practical application of the skills acquired. Through the analysis of real cases handled by Global Thinking Foundation’s “Donne al Quadrato” listening service, participants were able to discuss complex situations and identify possible tools to support victims of economic violence.
On the same day, Gabetti Group, a partner of Fondazione Marcegaglia and one of Italy’s leading real estate groups, also took part in the event. The company’s contribution focused on a topic closely linked to economic autonomy: housing autonomy for vulnerable individuals.
The session explored practical issues such as tenancy agreements, guarantee systems and the role that Third Sector organisations can play in supporting individuals towards independent housing solutions. This contribution further broadened the reflection on the meaning of autonomy, highlighting how economic independence, access to housing and social inclusion are closely interconnected.
Networking to generate greater impact
The project represents a concrete example of how collaboration between foundations, businesses and Third Sector organisations can strengthen the ability to respond to the needs of individuals and communities.
Fondazione Marcegaglia, Global Thinking Foundation, Gabetti Goup and the eleven organisations involved contributed to the development of a shared programme that brought together different skills, experiences and professional expertise, creating opportunities for dialogue and mutual learning.
As Claudia Segre, President of Global Thinking Foundation, points out, investing in training means concretely strengthening prevention and support activities.
“The collaboration with Fondazione Marcegaglia represented a virtuous example of an alliance between organisations committed to supporting vulnerable people, capable of generating dialogue, expertise and practical tools to recognise and combat economic violence.”
At the end of the programme, the eleven participating organisations now have additional tools and expertise to recognise, prevent and combat economic violence. A legacy that will continue to generate value over time through the daily work carried out in anti-violence centres, safe houses and support services for vulnerable individuals.
Supporting autonomy, training and inclusion
The project developed together with Global Thinking Foundation demonstrates how sharing expertise can become a concrete tool for strengthening people’s autonomy and supporting those who work every day in inclusion and support pathways.
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