Italian educational projects highlight women's rights and history

In Noto, the Matteo Raeli Higher Education Institute has launched a project titled “Giornaliste – Voci di libertà” (Journalists – Voices of Freedom). The initiative, which won second prize in the “Sulle vie della parità” national competition, involves 127 students across various academic disciplines. Through research, audiovisual production, and art, students explore the lives of four female journalists: Marianna Bartoccelli, Maria Grazia Cutuli, Ilaria Alpi, and Daphne Caruana Galizia.

The project utilizes a symbolic red bench and QR codes to collect student reflections on journalism, civic participation, and gender equality. These activities are linked to efforts to combat violence against women and promote civic education.

In a separate historical context, a new book by Saverio Pansini, “Dall’allevamento delle giovani fanciulle all’istruzione femminile,” examines the evolution of female education in 19th-century Italy. Focusing on Bari, the work traces the shift from viewing female training as a means to prepare women for domestic roles to a more complex model of empowerment. The research was sparked by the discovery of documents from the Batifort Wembacher Institute, a private school in Bari founded in the 1850s by Laure Batifort that emphasized individual student competence.