In early 2025, Ireland published its first National Financial Literacy Strategy in response to a critical gap in financial literacy across the population. Our relationship with money begins in childhood, shaped by the financial circumstances and habits within our home environment. Many of us unconsciously inherit these patterns, forming the foundations of how we view and manage money.
Finance is not just about numbers - it is deeply connected to psychology, behavior, and emotion. These factors often influence financial outcomes more than figures alone. Yet despite money’s central role in everyday life, a persistent gap in the Irish education system leaves many young people without the basic knowledge and skills needed to navigate their financial futures.

This project explores financial literacy and education among young Irish women aged 18–26. Using qualitative research and design thinking methodologies, it investigates their attitudes, perceptions, and lived experiences of money and finance. Semi-structured interviews were used to uncover insights and inform potential solutions aimed at redefining how financial education can better serve this demographic.