Preliminary results of the research by professors Michela Carlana (Harvard University and LEAP‐ Bocconi University) and Margherita Fort (University of Bologna) involving students who participated to the project in the school year 2018‐19

Several explanations have been proposed to justify these gender inequalities: the widespread presence of gender stereotypes, reduced awareness and confidence in one's abilities, the lack of knowledge of the benefits that can be gained from the continuation of the training course in scientific fields, the role of family and teachers in directing towards particular paths. The persistence in the choice of areas of study between high school and university suggests that it is important to intervene limiting barriers that prevent choosing the preferred field, al-ready when attending junior high school.

The Girls Code It Better (GCIB) project (formerly run by MAW Men At Work's and currently by Fondazione Officina Futuro) targets junior high school girls and aims at reducing gender dis-parities in STEM fields by facilitating the discovery of tools and knowledge in the technical ar-ea, creating opportunities to exercise critical thinking to solve practical problems by promoting team‐ work.