First steps toward equity: gender and intercultural education in early childhood contexts

Abstract

This paper, drawing from the perspectives of gender pedagogy, intercultural pedagogy, and intersectional pedagogy, presents a case study conducted at an intercultural center in the city of Rome. The objective is to explore whether and how intercultural education can also promote gender education through everyday educational and didactic practices. A qualitative research approach was adopted, combining various tools: analysis of institutional documents, semi-structured interviews with educators, and classroom observations involving both girls and boys. The findings reveal several noteworthy aspects, including implicit connections between intercultural and gender-focused educational approaches. Nevertheless, certain critical issues persist, particularly in addressing cultural and relational models that children tend to internalize from an early age