Department of Political and Social Sciences
Policies for Gender Equality and Inclusion Implemented by the Department of Political and Social Sciences (SPOL)
The active contribution of the Department of Political and Social Sciences to gender equality policies and, more broadly, to inclusion and wide-ranging social sustainability — which form an integral part of the strategic direction of the University of Cagliari — is expressed both through internal organizational policies aimed at the daily pursuit of well-being for teaching, technical-administrative staff, and students, and through specific initiatives and strategies that extend across the three core components of the University’s mission:
a) educational activities;
b) the conduct of national and international research projects of excellence;
c) engagement with the local, regional, and national community — within the operational framework of the University’s “third mission” or “public engagement.”
From the first perspective, the goal of organizational well-being has been pursued primarily through the updating of analytical tools designed to measure it, by contributing to the development and testing of the new organizational well-being survey prepared by the University of Cagliari and experimentally administered across the institution starting in May 2025.
In particular, beginning in May 2024 and in collaboration with CEING, several faculty members of the Department (including Professors Barbieri and Cois) joined the Rector-appointed committee responsible for designing and subsequently administering the new survey on organizational well-being, also aimed at updating the assessment of work-related stress (WRS), pursuant to Legislative Decree 81/2008.
The activities included: participation in an interdepartmental working group established by Rectoral Decree No. 1369/2024; identification of the dimensions to be investigated, in collaboration with the QoL@Work network of the Italian Psychological Association (AIP) and with the “Good Practices” project launched by the Politecnico di Milano; contribution to defining data collection tools and strategies aimed at improving the working and learning climate. In this context as well, the interdisciplinary nature of gender studies proved to be a key element, guiding the analysis of discrimination, marginalization, and inequality within academic institutions.
The Department also took part as a beneficiary of the survey, encouraging its academic and administrative staff to complete the questionnaire through a specific agenda item at the Department Council meeting prior to the survey’s release, and through communication efforts initiated by the Director via email and through the “Announcements” section of the Department’s website.
Among the specific policies implemented since 2022 to promote one of the main dimensions of organizational well-being — the reconciliation of work and life commitments for those with caregiving responsibilities — SPOL promoted a measure later adopted across the University by Rectoral recommendation. This measure involves identifying, when scheduling Department Council meetings, variable time slots (days of the week and time bands) that never coincide with “sensitive” times related to the schedules of professional caregivers for non-self-sufficient elderly persons, typically Thursday afternoons. The purpose is to ensure that all colleagues can participate effectively in meetings while recognizing caregiving duties for non-self-sufficient relatives as a legitimate and equally valued reason for absence.
The Department’s technical-administrative structure is also fully committed to promoting gender equity in practice. In this regard, all technical, administrative, and library staff participated in the training course “Organizational Well-being and Gender Equality”, which also featured two SPOL faculty members — Professors Barbara Barbieri and Ester Cois — as instructors.
Moreover, since early 2022, SPOL has served as a pilot site for implementing the University’s Gender Equality Plan strategic action on gender-sensitive administrative practices, aimed at updating regulations and related documentation to include both masculine and feminine grammatical forms, and at promoting the use of gender-inclusive language in institutional communications.
It is also noteworthy that since May 2021, the Department has been home to the University’s first Vice-Rector for Gender Equality, Professor Ester Cois, who has also served since September 2021 as Chair of the University’s Committee for Equal Opportunities and, since December 2023, as National President of COUNIPAR (the Conference of Equality Bodies of Italian Universities). She also coordinates the Interdisciplinary Centre for Gender Studies and Research (CEING) at the University of Cagliari, established in 2023. Furthermore, Professor Cois has contributed as a permanent member of the CRUI Sub-Committee on Gender and GEP Issues to the preparation of the national Guidelines for Developing Gender Equality Plans in Italian Universities, available at:
https://www.crui.it/archivio-notizie/vademecum-per-l’elaborazione-del-gender-equality-plan-negli-atenei-italiani.html.
With regard to inclusion policies for students and the protection of their right to education, it should also be noted that SPOL has been represented in the last term of the ERSU Board of Directors by Professor Barbara Barbieri, elected on behalf of the University, and in the current term by Professor Mariano Porcu in the same role (while Professor Barbieri now serves as a member appointed by the regional administration). In these roles, SPOL faculty have actively contributed to the development of policies aimed at reducing inequalities and promoting the value of diversity — notably the introduction of the Alias Identity Regulation in all ERSU-managed services (student housing, university canteens, etc.), the first of its kind in Italy and a best practice later adopted by other universities nationwide.
With respect to the three core functions of the Department’s institutional activity — as a concrete expression of the inclusive and gender-sensitive approaches adopted by the University through its Gender Equality Plan (since 2020), its Action Plan connected to the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (in line with the European Charter for Researchers and the certification obtained in March 2024), and its Strategic Plan — the following operational applications can be highlighted:
a) Educational Activities
The adoption of a gender mainstreaming approach in teaching has a long-standing tradition within the Department. Over the years, numerous courses have incorporated gender perspectives both in their content and methodological approach, in line with the Department’s inherently multidisciplinary nature since its foundation.
Among these, a notable example is the laboratory “Gender Equality”, coordinated since the 2021/2022 academic year by Professor Silvia Benussi as part of the Master’s Degree Programme in Social Innovation and Communication (2/69).
The laboratory’s goal is to examine the historical and contemporary impact of gender on institutions and society, as well as on their mutual interactions. It focuses on two intersecting perspectives:
the study of discrimination against women — its historical roots, the stereotypes and beliefs that perpetuate it, its impact on society and collective well-being, and the actions needed to counter it;
the study of women’s participation in politics and society — aimed at identifying the resources and strategies employed to advance women’s rights and strengthen equality policies.
The laboratory seeks to provide theoretical and methodological tools to analyse the historical development of these phenomena and to understand their implications for contemporary society.
https://unica.esse3.cineca.it/Guide/PaginaADErogata.do?ad_er_id=2021*N0*N0*S1*37599*21331&ANNO_ACCADEMICO=2021&mostra_percorsi=S
In December 2024 (5–6 December), the SPOL Department organized and hosted — in collaboration with the University Committee for Equal Opportunities (CUG) and the Interdisciplinary Centre for Gender Studies and Research (CEING) — the National COUNIPAR Conference.
The conference theme, “Promoting Organizational Well-being in the University Context: The Role of Equality Bodies” (https://magazine.unica.it/eventi/benessere-organizzativo-nelle-universita-convegno-counipar/), provided a space for dialogue among academic experiences, institutional practices, and theoretical reflections on the multiple dimensions of organizational well-being in academia.
Particular attention was given to the protection of physical, psychological, social, and relational health, as well as to the prevention of all forms of discrimination and violence through an intersectional perspective.
The relationship between organizational well-being and gender studies represented a central focus of the conference, highlighting how dynamics of inclusion and discrimination influence academic careers and the functioning of university institutions.
b) Research Excellence Activities
From the perspective of participation in international research projects explicitly focused on Gender Equality, the Department currently engages in at least three high-profile European partnerships. SPOL faculty serve as scientific leads, while the Department itself provides the organizational framework for the activities, representing the University of Cagliari.
1. SUPERA (Supporting the Promotion of Gender Equality in Research and Academia)
This four-year international project, funded under Horizon 2020 (Grant Agreement 787829), ran from 2018 to 2022 and involved a partnership between UniCa (University of Cagliari, Italy), UCM (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain), Yellow Window (Belgium), Sciences Po (France), CEU (Hungary), UC-CES (Portugal), MINECO (Spain), and RAS (Autonomous Region of Sardinia).
Three SPOL faculty members were part of the Italian Core Team, each leading a specific work package:
Ester Cois – WP4: Training Activities, Barbara Barbieri – WP7: Monitoring and Evaluation, Alessandro Lovari – WP8: Communication and Dissemination
https://www.unica.it/unica/en/ateneo_s04_ss09_sss07.page
The project led to the drafting and approval of the University of Cagliari’s first Gender Equality Plan in July 2020, recognized nationally as a best practice. SPOL played a central role in both drafting and institutional formalization of the GEP (https://unicapress.unica.it/index.php/unicapress/catalog/book/978-88-3312-021-8), reinforcing its position as a strategic promoter of European gender equality principles. The Department also contributed to the consultative development of the 32 strategic actions comprising the GEP, with the ongoing participation of its Director, Mariano Porcu, in the HUB supporting the core team during the planning and implementation phases.
Project information link
2. SMILE (Social Meaningful Impact through LifeLong Learning Universities in Europe)
Since December 2020, SPOL has acted as the Italian lead for this three-year international project under Erasmus+ KA3 Social Inclusion and Common Values (621433-EPP-1-2020-1-BE-EPPKA3-IPI-SOC-IN), coordinated by EUCEN.
https://www.unica.it/unica/page/en/smile_un_sorriso_per_linclusione
SMILE focuses on inclusivity in higher education, addressing three thematic pillars: migration experience, gender inequalities, and socio-economic background. The project aims to support students facing disadvantages related to ethnicity, gender, or socio-economic conditions, promoting participation, progress, and academic success.
SPOL leads Pillar 2: Women in Leadership, and serves as the administrative hub for UniCa’s participation. Faculty involved include: Ester Cois (PI), Nicola Melis, Valentina Cuzzocrea, Alessandro Pes, Federica Falchi, Marco Zurru, Barbara Barbieri, and Isabella Soi, each contributing from a gender-informed multidisciplinary perspective.
3. UNISafe (Gender-based Violence and Institutional Responses: Building a Knowledge Base and Operational Tools to Make Universities and Research Organisations Safe)
Since 2021, SPOL has represented UniCa in this European project, coordinated by the European Science Foundation, involving 35 international Research Performing Organisations (RPOs). The project addresses gender-based violence in academic institutions and centers of excellence, with SPOL PI Ester Cois and Vice-Rector for Communication Elisabetta Gola leading the activities.
The initial project phase included designing and administering a survey on gender-based violence in universities, adopting a comparative international approach. From 2024, the project continued under GenderSAFE, with Professor Cois as Circle Leader for the National Authorities practice community at the European level.
4. EUCEN Annual Conference (56th edition)
SPOL has also been selected as the host for the 56th Annual Conference of EUCEN, the leading European network on University Lifelong Learning, an internationally prestigious event directly promoted by the European Commission, scheduled for June 2026.
c) “Third Mission” Activities and Public Engagement
In terms of Third Mission activities, the SPOL Department has demonstrated strong commitment to promoting gender equality and combating discrimination, through numerous conferences, seminars, and participation in prestigious regional, national, and international events. Key initiatives include:
a) Collaboration with ANCI Sardegna
SPOL faculty served as expert consultants in the training of over 500 local officials and administrators on the topic of combating gender-based violence.
b) Participation in W20
The Department took part in the W20, the G20’s gender-focused section, during Italy’s first Presidency of the global forum, in collaboration with the regional office of AIDDA (Association of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Executives).
https://www.aidda.org/news/40esimo-anniversario-aidda-sardegna-in-collaborazione-con-w20
c) Affiliation with the Interdepartmental Centre “Cagliari Accessibility Lab: Physical and Cognitive Accessibility”
Since 2020, SPOL faculty Ester Cois (Scientific Committee) and Nicola Melis have represented the Department. The centre focuses in particular on the cumulative effect of gender and health inequalities in processes of social exclusion.
https://www.unica.it/unica/it/cagliari_accessibility_lab.page
d) Participation in the “Curvatura” Project
Since 2021, SPOL has contributed to a series of training and orientation sessions for high school students, including modules focused on inclusivity and anti-discrimination themes. Within the macroarea “From Differences to Inequalities: The Contribution of Sociology Between Theoretical Concepts and Field Research”, lessons covered topics such as: Differences and inequalities in the use of SPACE: the case of children in contemporary cities; differences and inequalities in the use of TIME: the construction of the future by incarcerated minors; identification of gender stereotypes and biases in gender-sensitive violence prevention policies.
e) Teacher Training on Gender Education
In collaboration with CIRD, SPOL organized a training cycle for secondary school teachers on Gender Education in Schools, coordinated by Professor Isabella Sulis. Starting in 2024, faculty involved in the training included Professors Caterina Satta, Emanuela Spanò, Barbara Barbieri, and Ester Cois.