PROMOTING EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH TEXTBOOKS

Every child, regardless of gender, socio-cultural background and geographical provenience, the type of family in which they are born, religious background, disability and so on, has the right to develop to their full potential. However, the presence of inequalities in their own lives and in the lives of their caregivers creates significant barriers to achieving this goal (Unicef, 2019). In line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda, which serves as the overarching reference point for global commitments at national and international levels to identify shared solutions to the pressing challenges confronting the planet, the promotion of equality and overall the empowerment of girls and women worldwide has been identified as a key objective. In this regard, there is a consensus among international policymakers on the necessity to advocate for interventions within the domains of culture and education. Education and culture are the primary instruments through which the promotion of gender equality can be achieved, and schools have a pivotal role in this regard. In alignment with this perspective, the majority of school textbook publishers have directed their efforts towards the valorization of the female universe, thereby fostering the free construction of the imagination for both girls and boys. The significance of textbooks is further underscored by their pervasive use across the national territory, particularly in Italy, and the fact that they are utilised by individuals across the age spectrum. A substantial proportion of the population uses textbooks for at least 80% of their school time (Sadker & Zittleman, 2007). The notion that human development is significantly influenced by imitation and modelling (Bandura & Walters, 1977; Bandura, 2003) further reinforces the notion that textbooks, as a cultural authority (Blumberg, 2008; Kalmus, 2004; Witt, 2001), wield considerable influence over the mental representations of the world that children develop about gender roles (Stromquist, Lee, & Brock-Utne, 1998), encompassing lifestyle, employment, and career aspirations, even impacting their self-image (Britton & Lumpkin, 1977; Crawford & English, 1984; Macaulay & Brice, 1997; Witt, 2001; Heslop, 2016). In the event of the planning of cultural and educational support with the intention of maintaining equal opportunities in different situations, children are presented with the chance to encounter multiple situations, multiple people, multiple places, and multiple developmental trajectories within which to identify and build their own identity representation. In Italy, guidelines for publishers have been drawn up to bridge the gap (Progetto Polite, 2011). However, it still exists and is damaging the new generations. In the light of a collaboration with an Italian company that wanted to ensure equal opportunities in its own projects, a research was developed with two main objectives: the drafting of guidelines covering a wide range of considerations, including the gender of the textbook authors, the linguistic nuances used, the diversity of human representation and the presence of stereotypes; the revision of the textbooks published in order to close the gap in the new series.