Toward a more inclusive academia? Strategies and perspectives through reading Italian universities’ Gender Equality Plans

Gender equality in academia, like in all human organizations, mirrors broader societal transformations and is shaped by interconnected factors, including legislation, regulatory frameworks, individual commitment, and institutional culture. The latter, comprising ingrained yet often implicit assumptions, beliefs, values, norms, and practices, highlights the complexities of tools like the Gender Equality Plan (GEP), designed to guide universities’ gender equality strategies. A textual analysis of a lexicometry type of GEPs from Italian universities provides insights into standardized objectives, drafting processes, stakeholder involvement, and initial impacts on academic communities.