Data on the daily lives of women scientists in Brazil point to gender inequality and difficulties with resources
Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a scientist in Brazil? And what it's like to be a woman and do science here? In celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Program for Women in Science, L'Oréal Brasil carried out a survey, developed by Kite Insights, and gathered answers from 70 winners on the subject. In the questionnaire, answers were mapped on different issues - both about the profession, day-to-day life and even personal life of women who decided to dedicate their lives to research. All to show what are the main issues they face and the importance of awards to encourage female empowerment in the scientific environment. With the results in hand, we've separated the most relevant data below. Check it out!
Do you, as a woman, feel that you have ever been treated with a lack of respect because of your gender? In the questionnaire, 90% of our female scientists said yes - which means that the vast majority have experienced, at least occasionally, different forms of discrimination simply because they are women. In the survey, for example, 39% of them say they have witnessed or experienced sexual harassment at least once, whether verbal or physical. Furthermore, only ¼ of them believe that women are given the same opportunities as men in their fields of work.
Another challenging factor for a career in science, according to 44% of our winners, is the lack of access to resources or equipment, as well as challenges in securing funding for their studies and research. This aspect further reinforces the importance of investments such as those made by the Program for Women in Science for these professionals, guaranteeing extra help with the scholarship they receive.
Still on the subject of career challenges, among the many factors cited, more than half of the women interviewed said they saw motherhood as something that would necessarily influence their career. This thought, by the way, is also reflected in another statistic raised by the survey: 49% of the women interviewed say that decisions related to this universe - such as the number of children they intend to have or even when to get pregnant, for example - were made primarily with their careers in mind.
The "hole" in the CV during the birth of children and the lack of flexibility in scientific circles in relation to this maternity break are some of the challenges faced by mothers and scientists. Thanks to movements such as Parent In Science, founded in 2016 by researcher Fernanda Staniscuaski, women are bringing light to this debate in search of concrete changes in the scientific environment.
And, after all, why did these women choose science? When asked why they chose science, only 3% said they had followed in their family's footsteps - which shows how most of them were pioneers in embracing research. Among their main motivations for venturing into the unknown with science, 76% highlighted the opportunity to teach and mentor people, and 73% the potential for great discoveries and innovations. Incidentally, more than half of those interviewed attribute their career success to individual perseverance.
It is for these and other particularities of the reality of a woman scientist in the country that Para Mulheres na Ciência has been promoted for 15 years. Through the program, in partnership with UNESCO in Brazil and the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, 103 Brazilian researchers have already been empowered to change the scientific landscape through innovation and gender equity. In this way, it is possible to inspire the women of today to transform the world of tomorrow.
