Empowering girls in science is a major challenge in Brazil. To give you an idea, UNESCO data for 2021 indicates that women account for 54% of doctorates earned in Brazil. Ana Bennett is a professor at the Institute of Chemistry at the Federal University of Goiás (UFG). Since 2009, it has helped girls not be bullied and able to produce science.
According to a study by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), women make up only 33% of the total number of Productivity Fellows and receive less for their research.
Anna Bennett reports that there is a very unequal situation between boys and girls that is common in the homes of many Brazilians. The first point is that while boys get cars, video games, and other items that stimulate their interest in scientific development, girls get brooms and other tools that enhance household tasks.
“So this training is very unfair and the boys get a stroller, video games to train their 3D vision to train their sense of space, while we get a broom to try to help their mother, and this is very cruel, and this is in this place where I decided to act. It does not mean “We should despise these jobs, but it’s just that everyone should share these household tasks.”
Stimulus
According to a survey conducted by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), in 2021, there were 67 thousand female scientists in the main fields (agricultural, biological and health sciences, exact and earth sciences, humanities, social and applied sciences, and engineering). linguistics and techniques). This number only corresponds to CNPq scholarship holders.
Anna Bennett says she was born in Duque de Caxias, in Baixada Fluminense and that the place is an enclave of poverty in Rio de Janeiro. She stated that there is a large number of blacks and poor people in her area. For the teacher, education is the only possible way to gain social mobility.
“School alone was the only way to go, so I didn’t really have any inspiration. I studied to gain social mobility, I did a night course and that was all I could do.
transformation
Anna Bennett said that since 2009 she has been working on a project called “Investiga Menina” which is a research and extension project. She said that the project contributes to enhancing the participation of black girls in science.
The group operates in five schools, reaching more than 4,000 students. “I want the girl to look and be an astrophysicist, I want her to look and there are no limits to her being, it depends on the family, the support network, the politicians, it’s not just merit, merit is a fallacy,” she stated.
The project provides support for subjects such as Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics during the teaching period itself, as the girls have home commitments during school time and the aim is to combat invisibility, produce knowledge, connect with science and challenge school dynamics. .
Female heroism
Female heroism was the main theme of the latest edition of Arena Repense.
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The subject of this report Basic United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), Sustainable Development Goal 5 – Gender Equality.
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