1Throughout my studies in International Relations and Human Rights, I have always been strongly passionate about exploring the articulation of inequalities in societies, to better understand ways to challenge them and to move towards a world based on equal opportunities. In the course of my Master’s degree in Educational Science, with a focus on the analysis of educational systems, I have grown particularly interested in the integration of a gender perspective in educational policies.

2A gender perspective or approach entails the analysis of a context, or a specific policy, by looking at the way the hierarchy between the masculine and the feminine is reflected, and the development of strategies to resolve it. In this context, gender is understood as a system of norms that organises the masculine and the feminine into a hierarchy, where the masculine is given an advantage to the detriment of the feminine (Dayer, 2014, p. 46). This and other definitions of gender are explored in the course of Chapter 1, which provides the conceptual framework for this investigation.

3To integrate a gender perspective or a gender approach specifically into educational policies means to formulate policies that are inclusive and that respond to the needs of men and women to guarantee equal opportunities. This process can take different forms and should function at different levels, through the development of specific projects to promote gender equality, through the elaboration of an inclusive pedagogy, through gender equality training (e.g. for civil servants and members of the press) and through gender-responsive policies in all aspects of society, such as health and employment (gender mainstreaming).

4This research studies the extent to which specific efforts to integrate a gender perspective into educational policies in the Italian reality have been successful, particularly between 2013 and 2016. Through an analysis of educational projects in the municipality of Cagliari, Sardinia, and of the way public opinion on gender issues is shaped, this investigation offers an understanding of the main challenges and obstacles posed to these efforts.

5Travelling inside the “anti-gender” movements and the “teoria del gender”, this study intends to provide a foundation for further research and for the development of new strategies to meet these challenges. Education is understood here as a fundamental means to achieve gender equality, because of its potential for the deconstruction of socially imposed gender norms and for the development of critical thinking.

6Chapter 1 provides the conceptual framework for the investigation, exploring working definitions and outlining the main issues that come into play when engaging with gender in education. The objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of these issues and to show that they are separate as well as inter‑related.

7Chapter 2 offers a contextual framework, through an overview of the way gender issues have been perceived and dealt with in Italy, particularly between 2013 and 2016. The objective is to show the relevance of the issue and to emphasise the controversial nature of the debate in Italy in this timeline.

8Chapter 3 presents the research project, through a description of the methodology and structure of the analysis. In the course of this chapter, the main research questions, the detailed steps of the research and a number of challenges and limitations placed on the investigation are outlined.

9Chapter 4 presents the central analysis, divided in two major parts (Phase 1 and Phase 2). Phase 1 engages directly with the case study at hand, the educational projects in the municipality of Cagliari, while Phase 2 tackles public opinion on gender issues in the country, and the ways it has been shaped. The characteristics of these sections are provided in detail in Chapter 3.

10Finally, Chapter 5 allows for an exploration of the main findings, including ideas for possible ways to further develop this research.