A exclusão de gênero em ciência e tecnologia na perspectiva na da Ciência da Informação: um estudo de caso na Universidade Federal do Pará

Abstract

This research investigates gender inequality in the access of women to Science and Technology (C&T) careers in higher education, at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Brazil. As a referent to C&T, this case study used statistical data from STEM courses (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). These courses are administrated at UFPA within two institutes: the Institute of Exact and Natural Sciences (ICEN) and the Institute of Technology (ITEC). All data was analyzed in light of gender theoretical categories, to identify differences in terms of the approval rates in admission exams, enrolment of undergraduates in STEM courses, successful graduation, participation in post graduation courses (MA and PHD levels), and the configuration of the academic team of professors at post graduation courses. We reviewed nine years of data, between 2011 and 2019. The results show that few women pursue careers in STEM professions. Data showed that from a total of 11,066 students, only 30% were women. There was also a low concentration of women in the academic team at postgraduate level in both institutes: 68 women to 321 men. Female student representation is worst in computer related courses, varying from 11% to 15%. However, courses related to "feminine categories" like aesthetics, food preparation, well-being and health, i.e. Architecture and Urbanism, Food Engineering, and Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, were dominated by women. Survival of undergraduate students is better in women, but in absolute numbers, male graduates overwhelm feminine presence. The longitudinal analysis following the nine-year term of this study, shows that the number of vocations in regard to computer technology is dropping in general, the number of girls entering STEM at UFPA stays constant or declining, but the number of boys is increasing comparatively. Even those fields "dominated by girls today" will cease to have such status in the short term. We conclude that in STEM courses at the UFPA, male-domination is so strong that gender inequality will persist for long, even in the presence of drastic measures today. Gender equality at the UFPA is a complex strongly rooted problem; nevertheless, it needs to be addressed at UFPA as a long term academic and social challenge.