About FIRE
Financial resilience for every woman
Financial Resilience (FIRE)
- Erasmus+
- Erasmus+ · KA210-ADU Small-scale partnerships in adult education
- No.
- 2025-1-IT02-KA210-ADU-000354693
- Duration
- 1 September 2025 – 28 February 2027
FIRE (Financial Resilience) is an Erasmus+ small-scale partnership in adult education. Three organisations from Italy, Portugal and Germany created free training, tools and support for women facing economic abuse, and for the professionals who work with them.
Everything FIRE offers is available in English, Italian, German and Portuguese, on a free learning platform that works on a phone, a tablet or a computer.
Why FIRE
FIRE raises awareness of economic abuse and gives women in vulnerable situations the knowledge, skills and support to recognise it, address it and overcome it.
Economic abuse controls, restricts or exploits a woman's access to money and economic resources. It includes withholding money, controlling finances, sabotaging work and blocking access to education. It often happens alongside other forms of abuse, and it can continue after a relationship ends.
Women in vulnerable situations are hit hardest: migrants and refugees, women with low income or low formal education, women in rural areas and women facing psychological or social disadvantage. Low financial literacy makes women more exposed, and digital banking gives abusers new ways to control money.
The European Institute for Gender Equality published Understanding Economic Violence against Women in 2023. That publication started the partnership's work. Directive (EU) 2024/1385 now recognises economic violence across the EU, but laws and services still differ from country to country, and many women do not know their rights.
Aim and objectives
Training for women
Training materials that give women the knowledge and skills to recognise, address and overcome economic abuse.
Resources for professionals
Resources for trainers, social workers, adult educators and service providers, so they support women effectively and form an informed support network.
Financial literacy
Stronger financial literacy and economic empowerment among women in vulnerable situations.
Mutual support
A community of mutual support among women, built on peer support, shared experience and a sense of empowerment.
Stronger services
Stronger capacity of trainers and service providers, based on good practice and empathy.
Tested with users
Training modules and guidelines tested with the women and professionals they are made for, then improved.
Who FIRE is for
Women
The main audience of FIRE.
- Women who have experienced or are at risk of economic abuse
- Women from disadvantaged backgrounds
- Women who want more financial independence and wellbeing for themselves and their families
Professionals
The people who support women every day.
- Trainers and service providers
- Social workers, counsellors and adult educators
- Professionals who want to strengthen their skills on economic abuse
Organisations
The wider support system around women.
- Local support services, NGOs and associations that support vulnerable groups
- SMEs and committees that work with women
- Organisations that join the testing, the support network and dissemination
Our approach
Participatory design
Women with lived experience, adult educators and service providers shaped the materials through focus groups and peer review.
Microlearning
Six Training Pills break money skills into short videos, infographics and handouts that fit into a busy day.
Blended learning
Every module works for self-study online and for group sessions in person, with facilitator notes for educators.
Trauma-informed
Calm, non-judgemental language, content notes before sensitive topics, private reflections and help contacts on every learner page.
Safe by design
A quick exit on every page, private tools that run in the browser and a guide to browsing safely.
Erasmus+ priorities
Inclusion and diversity
Main priority: inclusion and diversity in all fields of education, training, youth and sport.
Competences of educators
Additional priority: improving the competences of educators and other adult learning and guidance staff.
Topics
Promoting gender equality; development of training courses.
Timeline
- 1 September 2025
The FIRE project started, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union through the Italian National Agency INDIRE.
- 20 October 2025
The partners met in Lisbon for the kick-off meeting, hosted by EDUMANSHA. They agreed roles, the timeline, the quality plan and the first steps for the training modules and Training Pills.
- 2025–2026
The partners developed the four training modules, the six Training Pills and the guidelines for educators and service providers, in English, Italian, German and Portuguese.
- Project events
Reports and photos of each project event are on the News and events page.