Global Thinking Foundation, in collaboration with Avon Italy and Intesa Sanpaolo, is strengthening its commitment to promoting financial education and women’s economic inclusion through a dedicated initiative for Avon Beauty Advisors and the Foundation’s Volunteers.

This initiative represents the evolution of the training programme Donne al Quadrato, which in 2024 was adapted to better meet participants’ needs and, over two years, strengthened the collaboration between Global Thinking Foundation ETS and Avon, with the aim of developing skills for the responsible and informed management of financial resources among self-employed women.

Today, the project has resulted in a dedicated agreement that enables beneficiaries to open a bank account and obtain a payment card under preferential conditions for two years, facilitating easier access to banking services that are often unavailable to those without a regular payslip. Furthermore, for the first time in Italy, a network comprising the Third Sector, the banking sector, and business has come together in an effective joint action to promote the personal bank account as a choice and a first step towards full economic self-determination.

“This project represents a concrete step towards the economic independence and self-determination of self-employed women,” says Claudia Segre, Founder and President of Global Thinking Foundation. “Providing accessible banking tools means strengthening rights, planning capacity, and financial inclusion.”

The initiative was created to turn training into a tangible opportunity, offering participants the tools they need to manage their financial lives with greater autonomy.

According to ISTAT data (2025), 13.6% of women in couples do not consider themselves economically independent, while the World Bank Gender Data Portal (2024) highlights a gap of more than 12 percentage points in access to banking services between women and men in Italy.

For this reason, Global Thinking Foundation continues to promote projects that combine financial education with practical tools to foster inclusion and reduce gender inequalities.

2024/2025 training program in collaboration with Avon Italy