“Women in Science” addresses challenges and advances in gender equity

The book “Women in Science: What has changed and what we still need to change” (read here) brings together six chapters organized by researchers Letícia de Oliveira and Tatiana Roque. Letícia de Oliveira is a professor at the Fluminense Federal University (UFF) and a member of the Permanent Commission for Gender Equality (CPEG-UFF). Tatiana Roque is a professor at the Institute of Mathematics at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and the first woman to hold the position of Secretary of Science and Technology for the city of Rio de Janeiro. The work brings together articles and interviews with Brazilian researchers who discuss gender inequality in the scientific environment.

“The book was born from our desire to share reflections and discussions about the lack of diversity in Brazilian science. The organizers and authors have experience in gender studies and projects that try to change this unequal reality,” says Oliveira. “Another important motivation was to create a book-movement, a book under construction that will count on the collective participation of other women.”

The book begins with an interview with Professor Hildete Pereira, from the Department of Economics at UFF, described by Oliveira as “one of the most important feminists in Brazil”. The following chapters address gender equity, gender and race stereotypes, the impact of motherhood on the careers of female scientists, intersections between gender and race with a focus on black women, and the challenges faced by women in the exact and technological sciences.

Vice-president of CPEG-UFF and professor in the Department of Neurobiology at UFF, Karin da Costa Calaza highlights the importance of the book in democratizing discussions about implicit bias and stereotypes. She emphasizes that equity in academia depends on the inclusion of underrepresented groups such as women, black people and those with diverse gender identities. “We observed two main problems: the underrepresentation of women in the exact sciences and the scarcity of positions of prestige and power,” says Calaza.

“Politicians should listen more to scientists and base themselves on science.” But how? In my article in @JornalOGlobo Today, I show how the relationship between science and politics must be improved to face the climate crisis. pic.twitter.com/fdreA8Km5u

— Tatiana Roque (@tatiroque) May 21, 2024

According to a study by the Parent in Science movement, in 2022, women represented only 35% of PQ scholarships and 27% of level 1A scholarships, despite being the majority in science (58% of Capes scholarship holders). Calaza mentions that some areas, such as health, have a majority of women at the base, but this proportion decreases at the highest levels of the career. “We have never had a woman president of CNPq, for example,” he highlights.

The lack of participation of social minorities in scientific discussions is detrimental to the advancement of science. “In Artificial Intelligence, many bias issues arise due to the lack of perspectives from underrepresented groups,” says Calaza. She also mentions specific challenges faced by women, such as the unequal distribution of care work and harassment, which hinder the full development of women in the academic environment.

Initiatives such as FAPERJ’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the Parent in Science movement are cited by Oliveira as positive examples that promote diversity in science. These actions include specific calls for proposals for female scientists and mothers, as well as compensatory policies at universities and funding agencies.

By Ezatamentchy