On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, learn about PUCRS researchers studying women in different areas
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Although the number of women has been increasing in several areas, according to a UNESCO report published in 2020, only 30% of world scientists are women. In Brazil, women scientists represent 40.3%. The idea behind the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated on Feb 11, is to give more visibility to this them, as this is an issue that requires continuous efforts for women to achieve more equal access to science.
The date, declared in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly, aims to foster discussions and increase the relevance of women in science and technology. With this in mind, we have selected some PUCRS researchers who devote themselves to study women in different areas of knowledge, and do research that not only reinforces their role as scientists, but also sheds light on important themes in the discussions on gender equality.
Dr. Claudia Musa Fay, from the School of Humanities’ Graduate Program in History, is one of such researchers. She has conducted the research project Women in Brazilian Aviation: Struggles and Achievements, because of the small number of women in the Aviation program. The program was created in 1993 in a partnership between PUCRS and VARIG, a former Brazilian airline company. In its first class, out of 60 students, only 2 were women.
“The job market in Brazilian companies was similar. There weren’t many women pilots. Therefore, research was needed to identify and analyze the main obstacles that precluded women from getting into aviation”, she explains.
In its first 10 years, the program produced 464 male graduates and 20 female graduates. The methodology of her study included open interviews to find out more about these students’ lives. The interviews were recorded, transcribed (with full consent), analyzed and published by the Oral History Research Center. Findings have shown that social and cultural prejudices as well as economic conditions kept females from getting into the program. Not much information was available to complete this kind of training in college.
“With this study, we want to encourage other women who are facing obstacles to fulfill their dreams, to show that it is possible to be working as scientists in a technical profession. We believe affirmative actions can change the scenario. This includes incentives, scholarships, mentorships and the popularization of women’s achievements despite the obstacles they faced” Fay says.
Computing is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy and job market in the world, with opportunities for professional development and growth. However, for a long time, women have avoided Exact Sciences for different reasons. According to Dr. Soraia Raupp Musse, from the School of Technology’s Graduate Program in Computer Science, the few ones
who have walked this path feel lonely as they do not have much interaction with women during their career. She oversees the program Women in Computing, a partnership between PUCRS and PoATeK, to attract more women to Computer Science. The project allows students to do an internship (for which they receive a stipend) in the research groups, under the advising of faculty in the graduate program in Computer Science.
Currently, there are 5 girls in the program. They are working with graduate students in the publication of papers and development of advanced and innovative products. Soraia believes that with more women in this area, the more welcoming society will be for new ideas, different perspectives and innovative interests.
“We believe that the more women in science and the more diversity, the more we will be able to come up with innovative solutions to problems that are still unaddressed until new problems emerge”, she adds.
Dr. Patrícia Krieger Grossi, from the School of Humanities’ Graduate Program in Social Work, dedicates her academic career to studying the social experiences of quilombola women in accessing public policies. These are one of the most vulnerable communities in Brazilian society that have had some of their most basic rights violated, such as the human right to food and a dignified life.
According to her, women in this context tend to fight for their territory, many of whom are considered the guardians of culture, who pass on to younger generations the history of their ancestors. They also play a key role in social struggles for equality, political and economic organization and in favor of basic social rights. Dr. Grossi emphasizes that valuing the role women play in science, as it happens in the cultural-social context of the quilombos (settlements founded by escaped slaves), is essential to encourage the new generations to take a similar path.
“One of the great challenges in our society is to overcome gender inequalities. Therefore, education for gender equality will encourage more girls to pursue a career in science, valuing their potential, skills and competences in their entirety”, she comments.
Cristiane Matiazzi Posser, a student in the graduate program in Social Work, also chose to do research on women. In her thesis Social protection for Venezuelan women on Brazilian soil: reception and/or racism?, she looks into the reality of Venezuelan refugee women in Brazil using basic protection and social assistance services, both in the public network and in NGOs, in an effort to expand and qualify these services as public policies. Several interviews were carried out with refugee women and people working at a Social Assistance Reference Center (CRAS), a basic social protection organization, – and at an NGO devoted to social assistance.
The study has shown that Venezuelan women are directly impacted by various forms of prejudice, such as sexism and racism. People have reported that they have been kicked out of certain places, just because of their nationality. They also have received “different” treatment
in the search for health care services. Refugees also claim to be at risk of human trafficking, sexual exploitation, slave labor and informal work, without a formal contract or labor rights. Cristiane believes that the presence of women in science contributes to rethinking and changing reality, since these are the voices silenced by society. “It is essential to continue doing scientific research like this, so that the reality of women – Venezuelan or of any other nationality – permeated by prejudice, racism and violation of rights, is exposed and heard”, she adds.
The Research Group into Violence, Vulnerability and Clinical Interventions of the School of Health and Life Sciences’ Graduate Program in Psychology spearheads important initiatives to prevent and fight violence against girls and women. The group, headed by researcher and professor Dr. Luisa Fernanda Habigzang, has developed a study to assess a brief psychotherapy protocol for women who experience sexual abuse. The intervention helped reduce the symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Other studies have been carried out for the prevention of violence in romantic relationships involving public school girls in the child protection system, and their companions. Another initiative underway is in partnership with the State Department of Education. The idea is to develop a training program for educators in an effort to contribute to the fight against gender violence. Dr. Habigzang is in a group of specialists invited by the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI), which is establishing an agenda of research priorities on violence against women and girls in the Latin American and Caribbean region. “For a more egalitarian and just society, women, in their diversity, need to be protagonists in science. For this, a career in the academia must be presented as an opportunity and a possible path for girls to take during their formal and informal education processes”, she concludes.
PUCRS values and celebrates researchers who contribute to society by developing research in the most varied areas of knowledge. Several actions seeking to encourage female protagonism in science are under development at our University. Click here to find out more about them.
