Interactive Storytelling Experience for Sensitizing on Gender Equality: An Exploratory Study

Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Efforts to increase women’s participation in computer science, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) may benefit from changing masculine cultures and providing students with early experiences that signal equally to all genders that they belong and can succeed in these fields. Tackling gender inequality is an intricate and lengthy process, but digital technology can help fast-track progress. This study presents an interactive storytelling experience composed of short interactive stories that narrate real-life problems that women encounter in their workplace. 22 females and 23 males’ students were invited to test the interactive storytelling and evaluate their experience. Our results show the potential of interactive storytelling for incorporating gender-sensitive aspects in the curriculum and discusses implications for both research and practice.