Analysing persistent inequalities in the Italian welfare state: an Intersectional-Based Policy Analysis of ECEC

Gender inequalities are widely recognised as one of the most persistent forms of social disparity. While extensive research has examined their manifestation in different realms of everyday life, less attention has been paid to how family policies may reproduce gender inequalities through their interaction with class and geography in the Italian Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) system. Indeed, existing literature on Italian ECEC policy has largely relied on single-axis analyses, with only limited attempts to adopt more complex, multidimensional approaches. This paper aims to fill that gap by providing a more comprehensive and less fragmented account of the inequalities inherent in access to and use of ECEC services, considering both the perspectives of parents and those of children. Drawing on an Intersectionality-Based Policy Analysis (IBPA), the findings reveal the persistence of multiple, intersecting forms of social disadvantage that mutually reinforce each other. This article highlights the importance of adopting intersectional frameworks to better understand and address the structural inequities that shape ECEC services for children under three outcomes and design in Italy.