The project aimed to deconstruct gender stereotypes in schools, identified as a key factor shaping social, educational, and professional inequalities. Its objectives included raising students’ awareness of the social construction of gender, promoting gender balance and equality in career choices, and preventing sexist behaviors from an early age. The project also sought to train teachers and educational staff to integrate gender equality into their practices, by providing them with methodological and pedagogical tools. Finally, the project aimed to develop transversal skills (cooperation, critical thinking, citizenship, interculturality) among all participants, to strengthen ties between universities and schools, and to build a European network of stakeholders committed to equality between girls and boys.
Understanding and deconstructing gender stereotypes is at the heart of the Gender Neutr-All project. Gender equality, recognized as one of the priorities of UNESCO’s Education 2030 Agenda and Europe’s 2030 Agenda, represents a major challenge for schools. Educational teams often find themselves ill-equipped to address the rise in sexist and sexual violence, bullying, and career guidance that remains largely gendered. Acknowledging the essential role of schools in building participatory citizenship, this partnership project—based on collaboration between universities and secondary schools—aimed to produce training modules and educational tools designed to support school staff and to help adolescents develop key skills. The transnational comparison (France, Greece, Portugal) highlights the value of an intersectional approach and provides a deeper understanding of how various factors contribute to the construction of stereotypes. Thus, working towards equality between girls and boys also means advancing cultural and social equality.