SortAnd adolescence is that suspended moment in which who has been left behind, To try to understand who will becomea question: while you imagine the future, How much do gender stereotypes count? And above all: are the boys and girls aware of it? THE’Genre observatory and stereotypes 2025promoted by Henkel Italia in collaboration with the independent Eumetra research institute, tried to understand it through a research in which the boys themselves are talking about it, which will be presented on Saturday 13 September, at 3 pm, at Triennale di Milano During the festival-Festival of Corriere della Sera “The time of women” in the appointment entitled “Young people and gender gap”.
«This year we wanted to deepen how much e like the genre conditions the dreams and choices of the youngestso we focused on the Alpha generation, in particular on pre -adolescents from 13 to 15 years»Explains Mara Panajia, President and CEO of Henkel Italia, who at the time of women will illustrate the contents of the research together with the director of I woman Danda Santini. «The Observatory was born in 2022 to investigate The influence of gender stereotypes in contemporary societymeasuring the weight they have In the distribution of family homework, in decisions related to studies, work and free time “ continues.
They fear that maternity criminalizations
The research involved 500 boys and girls enrolled in the last year of middle schools and at the first of the high school, through a Double study, quantitative and qualitative. The result? The very young people tell each other with chiaroscuro tones, but which outline a clear – and in some ways surprising – awareness of the impact on the future of gender stereotypes.
The study of the genre and stereotype observatory reveals the awareness of the pre -adolescents of the extreme influence of gender stereotypes within the company (Getty Images).
«The data and testimonies return the Photography of a generation who feels free to dream and has great projects. Compared to the possibility of really making them, males show a certain security, while almost A third of the girls fears to be penalized in case it should have childrenthus sacrificing the career for the family. The pre -adolescents also recognize that i social, TV series and advertising accentuate gender stereotypesand they are very critical on narrative both of femininity and maleness. These results spur us to continue the Observatory to continue to create culture on these themes, but above all to do even more and better as a company because gender equality becomes a reality And a promise does not remain ».
Cultural training
44 percent of the girls and 39 percent of the boys confirm they have Projects and ambitions For the future. While the group of girls would like form cultural and personal level Before at work level, that of the boys look to the digital world and social networks as a source of new opportunities.
After Spain, it is Milan to welcome Stem Women Congress designed and organized to fill the gender gap in the Stem world, an area where women are still under -representative (Getty Images).
As for autopERcing, The males feel very sure of their abilities (40 percent) compared to peers (35 percent); they consider themselves intelligent – while sensitive females – and underline that they feel brought for sport and scientific subjects (the most coveted works are engineer, sports, IT), while The girls offer for humanities and artistic subjects (doctor, teacher, artist, psychologist).
The disorientation of this phase
In short, a cross -section that clearly photographs Default genre roles with all the traditionally associated characteristics. «It seems to me that too this generation is following the great trace that still defines What is male and what is from female “ He supports the psychoanalyst and psychotherapist Laura Pigozzi, expert in the world of young people, women, parents-child relationships.
“Moreover, it never detects enough how much disorientation is this phase of life In those who are going through it: adolescence serves detach yourself from parentsto advance independently and face A void that is all to be built. And if the undifferentiation is typical of the child, the teenager, on the other hand, must define himself and his position in the worldidentify, clarify what he wants to become. All this can be distressing. Here, then, that Gender roles offer models socially approved in which to recognize and cling to, a refugea reinforcement that helps young people to perform that work of taking responsibility towards themselves which is growing, becoming autonomous ».
From insecure to leaders
Gender stereotypes especially the young women disguiselimit its potential, condition more or less forever different plans of life. When the researchers of the genre and stereotype observatory defined the score of self -esteemto understand how this impacts on the trust of realizing their dreams, The girls were majority in the group of “insecure” and in that of the “hesitations” (31 and 26 percent, against 26 and 22 percent of peers), while males in that of “leaders” and “decisive” (29 and 24 percent, compared to 22 and 20 percent of females).
The gender observatory and stereotypes found that girls, compared to males, are mainly in the sphere of “insecure” and “hesitant” (Getty Images).
“It’s true, teenagers are discounted educational and cultural prejudices that brake them a lotbut it is also true that they are full of resourcefulnessjust as children know how to integrate dimensions such as emotional intelligence and care in themselves today, quality that in common perception are traditionally associated with women “ Professor Anna Teresa Ferri, principal of the Pizzigoni renewed comprehensive institute in Milan, tells. “It is a generation that has made a leap towards the different from itselfwhich knows how to integrate dimensions that belong to the other genre much better than the previous generations have done. And in this step we adults – teachers and parents – we can make the difference: Teenagers look at us more carefully than we imagine “ concludes Ferri, who presides over schools where the idea of gender equality is transversal to all teachings.
Mom and dad are, moreover, among the models mentioned more often in the stories made to the Observatory, as well as teachers. Together they agree, however, that The adults “declare equity”, but then in the practice “veicolano disparity”.
Beliefs born in the family
The research also shows that the 13-15-year-old girls they already provide a world of less fair work towards them: only 46 percent think they have the same career opportunities as males. AND they fear being discriminated against in case they become mothers (31 percent, against 8 percent of the boys who fear discrimination in case of paternity). Most of these beliefs seems to generate in the family: it is true that fathers are increasingly involved in the care of children and the house, but the interviewees they declare that they note mothers and fathers undergo different pressureswith mothers carrying on the shoulders The greatest weight in having to reconcile profession and private life.
Prejudices also for males
Attention. Eumetra’s researcher, Anna Caterina Tagliabue, also highlights how this generation flows “a disparity that it no longer weighs on women – even if everyone is aware that they are still the most penalized – but that It provides limitations, expectations, prejudices also for men ».
Girls who collaborate as they repair a robot in the laboratory (Getty Images).
After all, films, TV series, advertising continue to stage Very stereotyped representations: the interviewees say compact that i male characters are represented as strong, independent, courageous or, however, professionally made, while women they are chosen mainly Based on the aesthetic aspect and they appear mostly in home contexts.
But if it is good news that teenagers have become aware of inequalities between men and women, it must be said that The gaps take shape much earlieraround six years old and, if you do not recover them immediately, they will become incurable.
Neuroscience and mathematics
Numerous studies indicate that it is very small, in fact, that females begin to review dreams downstarting to doubt that I have all the credentials. A “Dream Gap” that reduces aspirations, especially in the scientific area.
Neuroscience also show that males and females have the same innate mathematical skills (Getty Images).
«At six, with the beginning of primary school, the girls begin to think you are not brought for mathematics, And therefore to limit their chances of the future, because mathematics is certainly a great qualifying authority “says astrophysics Ersilia Vaudo, special advisor on future talents to the European Space Agency and president of “The itinerant sky”, a non -profit association that proposes a Innovative approach to science.”The neuroscience studies confirm that, before the elementary school, males and females have the same mathematical skills.
The gap is generated as soon as you enter the class. An extremely full -bodied French investigation, which involved three million children of the first and second grade for four years, found that Four months from the entrance to school the girls are back and, after the school year, The male-female gap has quadrupled. It is an incredible fact ».
Closest positive examples
For Vaudo it is there, as soon as the gap dug the first distance, which must be filled. «In a moment of great complexity such as the current oneItaly should focus on this challenge. Especially in consideration of the fact that Among the eighty countries of the Ocse-Pisa investigation (Program for International Student Assessment, is an international investigation promoted by the organization for cooperation and economic development, editor’s note) is the one with The largest distance in mathematics between females and teenage males“Concludes Vaudo.
The expert is convinced that girls and boys, To immunize themselves to stereotypes that prevent you from projecting themselves far away And in any direction, they must also be able to mirror themselves in proximity “models”: “not in successful adults, in essence, which have the impact of the drop in the ocean, but Students and students, friends and friends of five, ten years older in which they can recognize themselves more easily ».
The time of women
Ambra Angiolini, Valeria Parrella, Riccardo Cocciante, Laura Pausini, Lisa Ginzburg, Francesco Piccolo, Vera Gheno, Clara Sánchez, Jacinda Ardern, Arianna Meloni … here are only some of the three hundred guests who will animate the beyond One hundred appointments Of The time of womenthe feast-Festival of Corriere della Sera back to Triennale di Milano from 12 to 14 September. The twelfth edition of the event, born from an idea of La27esimaora, in collaboration with Io Donna, value D and the Interuniversity Research Center for Cultures of the Gender Cultures, has for theme Powers. Money. Love. The freedom of still wanting everything. Space is also reserved for physical well -being with the “Movement” program it offers in the garden Three appointments per day. Info and program on: iltempodelledonne.it