Palomo Dominguez, Isabel

The Women in Science International Conference 2026 originated within the framework of the Post-digital Storytelling for Gender Equality (PSGENEQ) Research Project. It was organized as part of a project funded by the State Budget titled “Establishment of Centers of Excellence at Mykolas Romeris University”, which is implemented under the “Centers of Excellence Initiative” led by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports of the Republic of Lithuania.

El presente artículo aborda la realidad digital reciente y el contexto contemporáneo, con el objetivo de comprender la casuística de los NFT en Europa a través de dos casos de expansión comparativos: el español y el lituano. Metodológicamente, el estudio adopta un enfoque híbrido, combinando la revisión teórica de los Non-Fungible Tokens con técnicas empíricas de recolección de datos, como entrevistas en profundidad y encuestas. De manera preliminar, se realizó un análisis bibliométrico utilizando la base de datos Scopus, lo que permitió identificar y seleccionar los artículos más influyentes publicados en revistas de alto impacto. Esta fase inicial facilitó la delimitación de los ejes temáticos y subtemáticos que sostienen el desarrollo del trabajo. Los resultados indican que la mayoría de los estudios revisados emplean metodologías cualitativas y aportan marcos conceptuales para la aplicación práctica de los NFT, validando su relevancia en campos como la publicidad, la comunicación y las artes. El análisis de contenido identifica seis líneas principales: características, expansión, aplicaciones, repercusiones, percepciones del mercado y marco jurídico. Además, el estudio evidencia el potencial de los NFT para la diversificación y conectividad de la industria cultural, así como su creciente relevancia en entornos de realidad virtual y aumentada, destacando su papel como herramienta innovadora en la transformación digital del arte y la comunicación.

The fairness of gender representation in media remains a strong concern in contemporary public debate and isvisible in scholarship. This paper presents a case study examining a spontaneous social phenomenon that unfolded on 16July 2025, during a Coldplay concert, when the romantic relationship between a male company CEO and a female head ofhuman resources—colleagues of comparable social, marital, and professional backgrounds—was unexpectedly revealed inpublic. The event, entirely unplanned and unmediated, rapidly went viral, generating vast amounts of user-generatedcontent (UGC) and embedding itself into popular culture. Due to its exceptional virality and enduring cultural resonance, itcan be regarded as a historical moment in the post-digital sphere, exemplifying how gendered narratives are constructed,amplified, and memorialised online. This study employs a quantitative content analysis of Instagram posts related to theevent, complemented by qualitative reflections that illuminate underlying attitudes and symbolic gender framings. Thismixed approach enables both the systematic mapping of engagement patterns and the interpretive understanding of howusers ascribe meaning and moral value to male and female figures in comparable circumstances. Findings show that,despite the protagonists’ similar social and professional standing, gendered asymmetries persist in public perception. Themale figure was frequently represented through narratives of leadership, charisma, and professional success, while thefemale counterpart was disproportionately subjected to moral judgment, emotional stereotyping, and scrutiny of personalintegrity. The study concludes that spontaneous viral events such as this offer unique insight into unfiltered digitalstorytelling, revealing how collective narratives of gender continue to reproduce structural inequalities even in seeminglyorganic contexts. As part of a broader research project on storytelling for gender equality, this paper contributes tounderstanding how viral, unscripted events both reflect and shape contemporary gender discourse in online culture.

STORYTELLING, DIGITAL MEDIA, AND GENDER EQUALITY: AN EDUCOMMUNICATION APPROACH IN THE CLASSROOM I. Palomo-Domínguez, R. Tamošiūnaitė Mykolas Romeris University (LITHUANIA) Abstract In today’s post-digital society, characterized by the pervasive presence of digital technologies in all spheres of life, the intersection between education and communication, known as educommunication, emerges as a crucial framework for fostering critical, engaged, and socially responsible individuals. This approach acknowledges the pivotal role of digital media in shaping attitudes, behaviours, and worldviews, particularly among younger generations. Educommunication not only integrates technological tools but also promotes participatory and reflective learning experiences that are essential for addressing complex social challenges, such as gender inequality. In this context, schools play a crucial role in helping students navigate the media-saturated environment and develop values of equality, respect, and inclusion. This paper aims to explore how educational communication can be translated into effective pedagogical practice, with a focus on promoting gender equality. The aim is to identify real-world examples of successful initiatives, analyse their implementation processes, and generate practical insights and recommendations that can be adapted to other educational contexts. The paper also examines how these practices can impact students’ attitudes and contribute to a broader culture of gender justice. The research adopts a qualitative approach, grounded in the case study method, with a focus on the European project Gender Equality Matters (GEM). Implemented in schools across Ireland, Greece, Italy, Croatia, and Spain, GEM aims to combat gender-based violence and promote equality through a whole- school strategy. The project involves students, teachers, and families in a collaborative process that combines classroom resources, teacher training, and community engagement. It uses storytelling, media production, and digital tools to facilitate dialogue and reflection on gender roles, stereotypes, and power dynamics. The findings highlight the vital role of storytelling and digital media in engaging students and promoting empathy. By encouraging students to reflect on and share experiences through narrative and multimedia formats, GEM fosters critical awareness and emotional connection. Moreover, the project underscores the importance of involving families and equipping educators with the skills and confidence to address sensitive topics. In an era of shifting norms, rapid technological change, and increasing exposure to online content, educators face new challenges that require innovative, values-based pedagogical responses. Teacher training is shown to be a crucial component in ensuring the sustainability and impact of such initiatives. In conclusion, the study affirms the transformative potential of educommunication as a method for promoting gender equality in schools. It demonstrates the value of combining theoretical frameworks with practical, action-oriented projects that speak to the realities of digital-native generations. Educommunication fosters the development of critical consciousness and the internalization of ethical values, making it a powerful tool for changing attitudes and behaviours. As future research, it is proposed to investigate how projects like GEM can be adapted and scaled across different educational and cultural contexts, ensuring their relevance and impact in diverse scenarios.

Storytelling has long been recognised as a powerful didactic tool, deeply rooted in human culture and cognition. In educational contexts, it serves as more than a means of transmitting content—it becomes a dynamic method to stimulate creativity, critical thinking, and emotional engagement. Grounded in constructivist and experiential learning theories, storytelling encourages students to explore and express their realities while constructing meaning through narrative; it is motivating and supports their self- esteem when expressing their ideas. When integrated into pedagogical practices, storytelling can foster empathy, enhance memory retention, and promote more profound reflection on complex social issues such as gender equity. This research investigates how storytelling, particularly micro-narratives, can be utilized in educational settings to promote gender equity. The study aims to uncover examples of good practice, understand the mechanisms that make them effective, and offer recommendations for future implementation. By focusing on real-world applications, it seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice, addressing how storytelling-based approaches can meaningfully engage students, shift their perspectives, and encourage active citizenship. The research adopts a qualitative methodology grounded in case study analysis. The focal case is the European project Schools 4 Gender Equity, which brings together schools, educators, and media professionals across several European countries. The project integrates storytelling into the curriculum through a participatory methodology, where students develop micro-narratives—short, personal, and creative digital stories—to explore themes related to gender roles, stereotypes, and inclusion. These stories serve as both educational tools and acts of expression, offering valuable insights into how young people perceive and challenge social norms. The analysis highlights how students, particularly in secondary schools, actively engaged in creating micro-narratives using digital media formats such as video clips, illustrated stories, and short films. These narratives reflect personal experiences, imagined scenarios, and collective reflections, addressing topics like identity, equality, and social justice. The project also produced a set of pedagogical deliverables, including toolkits, multimedia libraries, and educator guides, that facilitate replication and adaptation across diverse educational settings. The integration of digital storytelling leverages their familiarity with media, transforming passive consumption into active content creation and encouraging critical media literacy. These findings highlight a broader need for educational strategies grounded in practice and capable of fostering genuine engagement in the real world. By centring their voices and experiences, the Schools 4 Gender Equity cultivates empathy, critical thinking, and a deeper awareness of social dynamics. It equips young people to question stereotypes and imagine more inclusive futures. As educators increasingly seek to connect with Generation Alpha, who navigate both digital and real-life identities, storytelling offers a compelling, emotionally resonant medium. Embedding such practices in schools can help build learning environments that are not only innovative and reflective but also genuinely empowering.

Gender inclusion has emerged as a key component of equitable and democratic education systems. While this principle is widely recognised in policy discourse, its practical implementation varies across countries and educational settings. Understanding how gender-inclusive education is promoted in different contexts can offer important lessons for improving institutional practices and shaping future initiatives. As national reforms continue to evolve, international collaborative projects and strategies provide concrete examples of how gender-inclusive education can be successfully embedded across diverse educational landscapes. This study explores practices in promoting gender equality in education. Its aim is to discover how gender-inclusive approaches were conceptualised, implemented, and evaluated within selected initiatives. The study employs a qualitative research design, using a multiple case study approach. Data collection methods include document and content analysis of selected EU-funded and international programmes. The analysis seeks to identify core strategies, challenges, and transferable elements that have shaped inclusive pedagogical environments. A key insight from this study is the importance of adapting gender inclusion strategies to the communicative and media dynamics of post-digital society. This includes a nuanced understanding of how children and adolescents—particularly from Generation Alpha—interact, communicate, and form values. Narrative- based tools, such as storytelling, along with media strategies that promote engagement and meaning- making, are anticipated to be central components in successful gender-inclusive approaches. The conclusions provide a common conceptual framework for these projects, identifying key elements for their implementation and evaluation. By highlighting the structural and cultural factors that support gender equality in education, the study aims to provide relevant input for educators and policymakers. These findings can contribute to the advancement of inclusive education frameworks by offering cross- national perspectives on practical implementation and long-term sustainability.

Lyčių lygybė – sudėtinga, daugiasluoksnė ir nuolat besikeičianti tema, apipinta įvairiausių stereotipų. Nors šioje srityje jau yra pasiekta nemaža pažanga – ypač išsilavinimo prieinamumo ar moterų dalyvavimo darbo rinkoje – būtų dar per anksti teigti, jog lyčių lygybės klausimai jau visiškai išspręsti.

Iš Ispanijos atvykusi ir nuo 2020 metų Vilniuje gyvenanti Mykolo Romerio universiteto docentė dr. Isabel Palomo-Domínguez atvira – Lietuva suteikia galimybę ne tik pradėti naujus tyrimus, bet ir tęsti esamus bei kurti bendradarbiavimo tinklus.

Straipsnyje aptariama, kaip postskaitmeninis istorijų pasakojimas gali padėti griauti nusistovėjusius lyčių stereotipus ir įkvėpti pokyčiams, pabrėžiant, kad žiniasklaidos naratyvai formuoja mūsų požiūrį į moteris moksle ir kitose srityse. Remiamasi PSGENEQ projekto tyrimais ir renginiais, kuriuose akcentuojama, kad įkvepiančios istorijos apie moteris mokslininkes bei jų pasiekimus padeda keisti socialinius naratyvus ir didinti jaunų mergaičių pasitikėjimą savimi.