Risks of gender communication strategies in the Public Sector

The European Union perspective

Authors

Keywords:

Public communication, European diversity campaign, strategic communication risks, polarization, gender stereotypes

Abstract

This article explores the risks of gender-sensitive communication in the public sector, with a focus on the European Union (EU) that adopted significant gender and inclusive community policies (e.g. the recent Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025). The analysis is framed within a broader theoretical context, where public communication is understood as a strategic tool for strengthening democratic systems, fostering trust, and promoting social inclusion in an increasingly fragmented digital society. Theoretical perspectives on institutional public sector communication, inclusivity, intersectionality, and media polarization are considered to highlight the tensions between normative policy ambitions and the contested, often politicized, nature of gender public discourse in Europe. Against this background, the study aims to understand what kinds of European communication campaigns on gender issues are conducted, how they are disseminated across different platforms, and which risks emerge from the management of media and channels. Additionally, it seeks to examine how gender-related themes are framed and represented, and what risks may arise in terms of inclusivity and effectiveness.To achieve these objectives, the study considers four selected EU communication campaigns launched between 2020 and 2024. A qualitative approach is adopted, drawing on media content analysis and critical interpretation of campaign narratives. The findings, briefly outlined, point to structural, socio-cultural, and political risks that limit the transformative potential of EU gender-sensitive communication.

Author Biographies

Gea, University of Urbino Carlo Bo

Gea Ducci is Associate Professor of Sociology of Culture and Communication processes and Deputy Head of the Department of Communication Sciences, Humanities and International Studies at the University of Urbino Carlo Bo (Italy). She serves as Director of Advanced Management Training for Healthcare Executives, a member of the PhD board in Humanistic Studies and of the Research Lab on Artificial Communication at the same university. She is a Board Member of the Italian Sociology Association for the 2023-2025 term. Her research focuses on public sector communication, social and gender issues, inclusion and sustainability public communication, health communication, digital media, and the use of AI in institutional communication.

Lucia D'Ambrosi, Sapienza Università di Roma

Lucia D’Ambrosi is an Associate Professor of the Sociology of cultural and communication processes in the Department of Communication and Social Research (CoRiS) at Sapienza University in Rome. She teaches Public and Institutional Communication. Her research focuses on public communication in Italy and Europe, particularly with regard to gender issues and social inclusion. She is principal investigator of the project DeiCom Diversity, equity & inclusion in public communication. Empowering professionals for audience- centred approaches.

Paola De Rosa, Link Campus Università di Roma

Paola De Rosa is an Assistant Professor in Sociology of Cultural and Communication Processes at Link Campus University of Rome, where she teaches Crisis Communication and Corporate & Institutional Communication. Her research focuses on crisis communication, the analysis of media representations and their effects on audiences, with a focus on gender issues and female empowerment. She’s the co-coordinator of the GEMINI Observatory on Gender Equality and Diversity in Audiovisual Media.

Camilla Folena, Università di Urbino Carlo Bo

Camilla Folena is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Sociology of Cultural and Communication Processes at the Department of Communication, Humanities and International Studies (DISCUI), University of Urbino Carlo Bo. She has taught Communication and Marketing, Sociology of Cultural Processes, and currently teaches Multimedial Communication while collaborating in Strategic Institutional Communication and Public and Social Communication courses. Her research focuses on journalism and gender studies, post-Western European perspectives, digital cultures, and political and institutional communication.

Marica Spalletta, Link Campus Università di Roma

Marica Spalletta is an Associate Professor in Sociology of Cultural and Communication Processes at the Link Campus University of Rome, where she teaches Media Sociology and Media and Politics. She is also the scientific manager of LinkLAB (Social Research Centre). Her research focuses on the media representation of social issues and the audience perspective. Over the last 3 years, she has served as principal investigator of the European research-action project GEMINI-Gender Equality through Media Investigation and New training Insights.

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Published

2025-12-31

How to Cite

Gea, D'Ambrosi, L., De Rosa, P., Folena, C., & Spalletta, M. (2025). Risks of gender communication strategies in the Public Sector : The European Union perspective. Mediascapes Journal, 26(2), 222–246. Retrieved from https://rosa.uniroma1.it/rosa03/mediascapes/article/view/19241

Issue

Vol. 26 No. 2 (2025): Risk (of) Communication: Ethics, Futures, and Strategic Complexity

Section

Articles for the monographic section

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.