This course introduces the basics of intersectionality and presents the main principles of theoretical approaches and practical tools for inclusive gender analysis. It explores how gender operates as a social structure, how power and inequality are reproduced, and how inclusive analytical frameworks can be applied to research, policy, and practice.
6 academic hours (≈ 4.5 clock hours)
Self-paced · 3 modules · Final quiz
Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca (Italy), Vilniaus Universitetas (Lithuania), Fundación Universidad San Jorge (Spain)
Funded by the European Union — Erasmus+ KA2 Cooperation partnerships in higher education project TInGLE-Academia (KA220-HED-C62B38FE).
The first module covers several topics, which highlight the higher education context, introduce the main concepts in the field of gender equality and intersectionality, and explain their theoretical grounds.
Smith, Daryl G. (2015). Diversity's Promise for Higher Education: Making It Work. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Collins, P. H. (2000). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Open resource ↗The Oxford Review (2026). Intersectionality Theory — Definition and Explanation.
Open resource ↗Collins, P. H., & Bilge, S. (2020). Intersectionality (2nd ed.). Wiley.
Open resource ↗Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), Article 8.
Open resource ↗European Commission. Acting against discrimination.
Open resource ↗Hankivsky, O., & Jordan-Zachery, J. (Eds.). (2019). The Palgrave Handbook of Intersectionality in Public Policy. Palgrave Macmillan.
Open resource ↗Tildesley, R., Lombardo, E., & Verge, T. (2022). Power struggles in the implementation of gender equality policies. Politics & Gender, 18(4), 879–910.
Open resource ↗UN Women (2023). Approach to disability inclusion and intersectionality.
Open resource ↗Varsik, S., & Gorochovskij, J. (2023). Intersectionality in education (OECD Education Working Papers No. 302). OECD Publishing.
Open resource ↗Now apply what you've just studied. Work through the activities below at your own pace — you can use the notes area to draft answers and reflections, and they'll be saved in your browser.
Reflect on your own positionality, biases, advantages and disadvantages, and assumptions. Demonstrate commitment to equality and social justice values, and analyse gender bias in curricula or institutional practices.
See the IOM Intersectional Gender Analysis Toolkit for instructions on identity mapping.
Map inequalities in your study environment and university in general, recognising the diversity of gender identities and social positions without stereotyping.
You will refer back to this mapping again in Module 3.
Write a self-reflection: how do you increasingly know and understand power, privilege, inequality, marginalisation, and intersectionality? How do we ourselves use power and marginalisation, and how do we reinforce inequality and/or marginalisation in the academic environment of the university, in our personal lives, in our families, and wherever we interact with others?
The second module covers the theoretical foundations of feminism, postcolonialism, critical race theory, queer theory, intersectionality, and social constructivism.
AERID Lab. Equipping educators for equity through ethnic-racial identity (E4).
Open resource ↗Christoffersen, A. (2021). The politics of intersectional practice. Policy & Politics, 49(4), 573–593.
Open resource ↗Cunliffe, A. L. (2016). On becoming a critically reflexive practitioner, redux. Journal of Management Education, 40(6), 740–746.
Open resource ↗Hooks, B. (1984). Feminist theory: From margin to centre. South End Press.
Open resource ↗Mohajeri, O., Rodriguez, F., & Schneider, F. (2019). Pursuing intersectionality as a pedagogical tool in the higher education classroom. Rutgers University Press.
Open resource ↗Mohanty, C. T. (1988). Under Western eyes: Feminist scholarship and colonial discourses. Feminist Review, 30(1), 61–88.
Open resource ↗Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (2018). How does intersectionality work?
Open resource ↗Now apply what you've just studied. Work through the activities below at your own pace — you can use the notes area to draft answers and reflections, and they'll be saved in your browser.
Analyse gender through the lens of race, nationality, age, health, class, and sexuality. Pick a familiar context (a course, a campus space, a public debate) and unpack how these axes interact.
Map inequalities and discrimination cases in your favourite social media using a mind-mapping tool. Choose one platform and document at least three concrete examples.
Use one of the tools below — Miro is browser-based, MindMeister and Mindomo also have mobile apps.
Produce a visual representation (matrix, diagram) of intersectional inequalities in social media. Explain how gender inequalities are produced and reproduced; acknowledge intersecting axes (gender, age, ethnicity, disability, migration status), and avoid universalising women's or men's experiences.
Write a self-reflection paragraph: identify hate-speech cases in academia and in public communication, showing readiness to engage constructively with resistance to gender equality.
The third module focuses on a practical examination of inclusive gender analysis using an intersectional perspective on the identified marginalised group of students in the university community.
European Commission, DG R&I (2020). Gendered Innovations 2: How Inclusive Analysis contributes to Research and Innovation Policy Review. Publication Office of the European Union.
Open resource ↗Felten, P., & Barnett, B. (Eds.) (2016). Intersectionality in action: A guide for faculty and campus leaders for creating inclusive classrooms and institutions. Routledge.
Open resource ↗Ortiz Monera, R. M., & Morero Beltrán, A. M. (2020). Guides to mainstreaming gender in university teaching. Xarxa Vives d'Universitats.
Open resource ↗United Nations Development Programme (2016). How to conduct gender analysis? Guidance notes for UNDP staff.
Open resource ↗UN Women (2014). Guide for the evaluation of programmes and projects with a gender, human rights and intercultural perspective.
Open resource ↗IOM (2024). IOM Intersectional Gender Analysis Toolkit. International Organisation for Migration, Geneva.
Open resource ↗Intersectionality Informed Gender Analysis Toolkit (UN Women).
Open resource ↗CRIAW-ICREF (2021). Gender Equality and Intersectional Analysis Toolkit.
Open resource ↗Now apply what you've just studied. Work through the activities below at your own pace — you can use the notes area to draft answers and reflections, and they'll be saved in your browser.
Building on your inequality mapping from Module 1, identify a specific marginalised group within your university — for example disabled students, pregnant students, migrant students, LGBT+ students, or another group.
Conduct an intersectional gender analysis of a selected case study using one of the toolkits below. Propose evidence-based interventions to reduce gender inequalities and address diverse needs and vulnerabilities.
For the IOM Toolkit, follow the steps of inclusive gender analysis on page 19.
Develop an action plan with dissemination and communication activities for advancing gender equality and intersectionality in the development of the university community.
Think about audience, channels, timeline, and measurable outcomes.
Choose the best answer for each question. You will see your score and the correct answers at the end.
10 multiple choice
Untimed
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Intersectionality and Inclusive Gender Analysis
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