Genoa’s leftist administration has announced the first sexual and emotional education program in municipal preschools. Mayor Silvia Salis and School Councilor Rita Bruzzone presented the initiative on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The program, set to begin in January 2026, will involve 300 children aged three to five in four municipal nurseries: Santa Sofia, Firpo and Mazzini in Sampierdarena, and Monticelli in Lagaccio.
The program will be conducted in collaboration with the Mascherona and ‘Per non subire violenza’ anti-violence centers. According to Salis, “Even today, there are those who claim that sexual and emotional education in schools is unnecessary.” She added, “We believe the state has a responsibility to educate, and the mayor, who has his finger on the pulse of society, must be the first to send a signal. This is a small step, but given the current climate in this country, I believe it is a great signal.”
Councilor Bruzzone tried to clarify that sexual and emotional education “doesn’t mean we teach children about sex; we help them develop a sense of self, body awareness, and appreciation for diversity.” Families will apparently be informed and involved throughout the process.
She also noted that similar programs already exist in other Genoa preschools and in primary and secondary schools outside municipal jurisdiction, though those programs were made possible by the efforts of pioneering teachers. The goal now is to systematize these practices within municipal schools.
The announcement has drawn fierce criticism. Right-wing Lega MP Rossano Sasso, rapporteur of a recent bill that allows sexual education in middle schools, provided parents consent, denounced the initiative on X, saying: “What a shame, she’s doing it at the expense of Genoese families and children as young as 3! This demonstrates the urgency of approving the Lega proposal on informed parental consent and against gender ideology. A mayor should focus on solving his city’s problems, not on political propaganda in schools to try to gain a foothold in the [Italian] Democratic Party. Tell us how Salis intends to provide sex education to 3-year-olds: I’m very curious. Given what left-wing activists have accustomed us to in schools, if I were a Genoese parent, I’d be very worried.”
