GMW 2021 THEME: TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, TAKE CARE OF YOUR MONEY “Take care of yourself, take care of your money” was the official theme of Global Money Week 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected most countries around the world and has impacted the financial situation of families and individuals. Importantly, it has also increased young people’s vulnerabilities in terms of their access to education, employment, social interaction and mental health. Many young people have been left without the possibility of earning basic income and both they and their families have been affected financially by the pandemic. The effects of the pandemic have been felt the most by vulnerable young people. The theme of Global Money Week this year, “Take care of yourself, take care of your money”, stressed the importance of building financial resilience to cope with the current crisis but also with future ones, thereby supporting financial well-being. Young people need to have the instruments and opportunities to build a better, more inclusive and more sustainable future, for themselves and for the societies they live in. Financial literacy is one of those instruments, together with adequate financial inclusion and financial consumer protection frameworks. Around the world, participating countries and institutions have addressed the GMW theme through various activities, ranging from contests and essay competitions, to webinars, lectures and presentations on related topics. Many of the initiatives cited in the previous section also focused on financial resilience. A few more examples are highlighted below. 3 For example, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) used social media to reach out to those struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic with financial issues through messages from the @Moneysmartteam such as “if you’re feeling overwhelmed by money or personal issues, it can be hard to know where to turn. You don’t have to do it alone #GlobalMoneyWeek2021”. In Romania, the Financial Supervisory Authority and its partners addressed topics such as earning responsibly, having personal budgets, spending smart, knowing the value of money and taking care when engaging in payments online or e-commerce. The Kronofogen (Enforcement Authority) in Sweden led a social media campaign on financial resilience and debt for children and young people.
3 Examples and countries mentioned in the following paragraph are a sample and do not provide an exhaustive list of activities implemented throughout the Week to address the GMW 2021 theme.
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