Women, engineering and gender equality: Brazil and United States pathway

• Autor(a) principal: Andrade, Denise Almeida de
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Outros Autores: Machado, Monica Sapucaia, Howard-Bostic, Chiquita
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista Brasileira de Estudos Políticos (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://pos.direito.ufmg.br/rbep/index.php/rbep/article/view/842
• topic: Equality; Women; Technology; Women Engineering

BACKGROUND: Inequality between men and women continues to produce detrimental effects that reproduce past discriminatory behaviors and actions in the 21st century. We argue that professional training, financial support, economic autonomy, and structural adjustments are essential for women to overcome gender equity barriers. OBJECTIVE: The research's primary goal is to analyze women's enrollment in Brazil's engineering courses to explain why men are a demographic majority in the profession. Given this international reality, we also plan to show how access to the knowledge areas of engineering and disparities in engineering study is also relevant in the United States. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Qualitative analysis of extensive and specialized bibliography.  RESULTS: This study finds that the knowledge gap begins with differential socialization and development of girls and boys, who are presented with stereotypes that permeate and influence their perceptions, professional choices, and performance in the workplace. Fewer girls than boys choose engineering as a field, and after the first 20 years of service, greater than 30% of women have not remained in the engineering field. Even when women are technically prepared, they may experience stereotype threat, which can adversely impact their performance in the field.    CONCLUSIONS: This article argues that there are many reasons women remain an underrepresented group in engineering, an area of ​​knowledge considered of extreme importance during this century. We believe that when men and women are performing equitably in all relevant modes of decision-making, including determinants of large budgets, advancements in science, and solutions to current problems, society will be able to advance in material more effectively. It is necessary to continue building alliances, discussing negative stereotypes, and driving change that explores gender equality as a beneficial movement for society and our countries.