Educating for equality: citizenship and human rights workshops with girls and boys

Abstract

In the context of growing pedagogical attention to gender education, this contribution explores workshop-based activities for primary school children inspired by the educational model of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Italia. These activities are grounded in an integrated approach to human rights, active citizenship, and the deconstruction of gender stereotypes, promoting
a culture of equality and respect from early childhood. Through participatory methodologies, biographical storytelling, and visual and theatrical tools, the workshops aim to foster in young students a critical awareness of inequality and discrimination, encouraging identity and relational empowerment. This contribution aligns with the tradition of the Pedagogy of Difference (Iori, 1994; Ulivieri, Pace, 2016) and engages with recent educational approaches that seek to overcome androcentric models of
education (Gianini Belotti, 1973; Pinto Minerva, 1977; Guerrini, 2017). The article presents a selection of best practices from workshops conducted in Italian schools, analyzing their outcomes in terms of participation, transformation of imaginaries, and the construction of egalitarian relationships. It highlights how this approach, consistent with international studies on gendersensitive
education (Connell, 2002; UNESCO, 2015), represents an effective model for promoting inclusive and transformative
teaching capable of influencing both school and social dynamics.