An award that draws attention to the challenges women scientists face | Science and health

a mathematics Jacqueline Godoy Mesquita, 37, studies differential equations with delay, which are important for describing variations in particular phenomena such as drug administration, disease behavior, and fluctuations in currency exchange. The doctor and professor at the University of Brasilia won the 2019 Women in Science Award in the Mathematics category.

“After I won the award, the mathematics that I am developing started to gain a lot of clarity and I realized that many women started to see representation in me. This award plays a role in bringing to light the science that women are developing in the country that is often overlooked,” she says. The award has already included more than 115 young researchers with grants of R$50,000 each.

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The Women in Science program, which this year reaches its 18th edition in Brazil and completes 25 years in the world, registration is open until July 17th. To participate, it is necessary that the candidate has completed her PhD as of January 1, 2015. For women with one child, the deadline is extended by another year – for those with two or more children, the deadline for an additional period will be two years. The scientist must have a stable residence in Brazil, and develop research projects in national institutions, among other requirements. The full regulation can be seen online.

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The researcher considers the great challenges of being a woman and a scientist. “And even more so in mathematics, an area where female representation is very low. And especially as we grow throughout our careers, a ‘scissors effect’ occurs, women are cut along their path,” he reveals.

The study showed that 62% of girls said that they do not know people who work in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, while 42% of boys said that they did not communicate with a person who practices one of these professions. When asked about female professionals in these fields, the unfamiliarity rate among boys and girls rises to 57.1%. The unprecedented study Curious girls, women of the future It can be read here.

Another point Jacqueline made covers the daily petty violence that women experience in predominantly male areas. “These are jokes that sound like jokes, but in the end they are subtle violence. Plus the issue of women cutting out at meetings, and I feel that too,” he admits.

Jacqueline is vice-president of the Brazilian Mathematical Society and will take over as president of the institution in August this year. I will be the third woman in this position and the youngest among them. Mathematics is still very masculine in the country,” he laments.

Research released at the 2021 Gender Summit already shows that only 2% of leadership positions in science and technology are held by women researchers.

In 2022, the award winner in the life sciences category is Gisley Cardoso de Mello, a physician and researcher at Dr. Heitor Vieira Dorado, from the Amazon. The project you are developing is looking at two hypotheses for the frequency of malaria and aims to help people in the Amazon region.

She agrees with her classmate in mathematics. “The award has helped publicize my work, recognition of the work developed by my group and research project, as well as the ability to work with other research groups,” he says.

Despite the importance of her research, Gisley points out that the biggest challenge of being a woman and a scientist is demonstrating her ability to advance research, even with so many assignments.

“Although the world wants to balance activities between men and women, it is often the same [a mulher] It weighs more on her: The biggest challenge is to show others that you can work as a woman, that you can develop good research and achieve relevant results, despite the tasks with the house and the kids,” she explains.

Curriculum is of low value

“In the last 10 years of my life I’ve had three children, started and completed a PhD, worked at two colleges, published two PhD and other articles as a co-author, but it’s still very difficult, against the grain and the minimum that I’ve been able to produce is still considered slim,” says nutritionist and PhD in Collective Health from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Giselle Almeida de Noronha.

For her, the comparison shows the inequality for those who have to juggle scientific research with motherhood. “If you compare it with friends who had children during this period, but who, because they are men, already have completely different lives, or with friends who do not have daughters, both of them managed to build more than me professionally. .

In her opinion, it is difficult to conduct scientific research with so many demands on mothers. Working hours and production method for adults who cannot take care of children. In science, it is increasingly difficult to produce work because it takes time, dedication, and funding for research. How will you then go about having to take care of the kids at home? she asks indignantly.

During a pandemic, with two kids already, she remembers, producing was more challenging. There was this discussion: ‘I have a lot more free time, study more, and be able to produce more,’ said the male scholars, ‘but for us, women with children, it was much more work to write a script; I was constantly interrupted, it took me longer to finish the job,” he recalls.

With the third child, she had to drop out of college due to incompatibility of schedules. “But, with the help of friends and the recognition of my work, I have been able to produce as a co-author some works, unpaid, but which help maintain my method,” she assesses.

Currently unemployed, Gesell also reviews the scientific work of specialists in the field of practical knowledge, the so-called peer review. It is unpaid work to maintain neutrality. I do this to maintain a link with science,” he says.

The researcher says that mothers are disadvantaged in evaluating the curricula, as it is not only the quality, but also the number of articles published.

Until recently, it was the evaluation of the curricula [sobre] The last ten years of the profession. Now, she has opened up a competition in UFPE [Universidade Federal de Pernambuco} e teve uma mudança para mulheres com filhos; nos últimos cinco anos para cada filho que a mulher teve, ela ganha mais dois anos de avaliação do currículo, mas houve uma redução, ao invés dos últimos dez anos, estão avaliando os últimos cinco anos. Por exemplo, o artigo mais valioso que tenho fiz há 11 anos, então já não conta. É como se eu tivesse o currículo pela metade”, lamenta.

Apesar disso, ela acredita que as mudanças nas análises de currículo para a mulher que é mãe são importantes. “É uma maneira de minimizar esse ‘prejuízo’ que temos, de redução da produção científica durante a infância dos filhos”, acentua.

Ela destaca que, com a sobrecarga maternal, a consequência é o menor número de mulheres nas ciências. “A ciência perde mulheres pesquisadoras e coletivamente acaba perdendo também porque as mulheres – por conta desse trabalho extra de cuidados – têm um olhar na ciência que o homem não tem dessa experiência de vida prática. Acaba sendo um olhar mais limitado”, diz.

Bolsa cortada

“Minha bolsa foi cortada sem alarde, sem notícia no jornal, dois anos atrás pelo meu crime de escolher ser mãe durante a pós-graduação”, conta a pesquisadora Ana** sobre o período em que perdeu a bolsa do programa de mestrado, o qual sustentava as duas filhas – uma recém-nascida – e o marido, que perdera o emprego no começo da pandemia. Para concessão de bolsa de estudos, é preciso ter dedicação integral às atividades do programa de pós-graduação, ou seja, o pesquisador não pode ter outro emprego remunerado.

Com a certidão de nascimento da bebê, nascida em julho de 2021, e ainda na vigência da bolsa, ela deu entrada no processo de licença maternidade. “Perguntei quem faria a comunicação sobre a licença maternidade para a Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Capes), conforme está na legislação. Mas, o coordenador do programa respondeu que não haveria licença maternidade e a prorrogação da bolsa. Ele considerou apenas a Portaria Nº 52, de 26 setembro de 2002, da Capes. Então informei a lei sobre a prorrogação dos prazos nos casos de maternidade e que é superior a esta portaria interna e esperei que entrassem em contato com a Capes. Estava com o bebê recém-nascido e sem condições de ficar cobrando que os servidores públicose fizessem o serviço deles”, afirma. De acordo com a lei, ela teria direito a mais quatro cotas da bolsa.

Mas isso não que aconteceu. “Em dezembro de 2021 não recebi minha bolsa. Foi sem nenhum aviso prévio. A Capes não foi informada, conforme previa a lei, de minha solicitação de prorrogação em virtude da licença maternidade e encerrou a minha bolsa. Minha filha me cobrando presente de Natal e eu sem dinheiro para comprar comida, quem dirá presente e ainda no meio da pandemia”.

Bolsa

Ana conta, ainda, que, após o recesso, a coordenação do programa entendeu que havia cometido o erro, mas não era possível reverter. “A ajuda veio por meio de uma outra modalidade de bolsa dentro da universidade que depende de fontes diversas e conseguiram me inserir, mas só recebi a primeira cota dessa bolsa em maio. Fiquei entre dezembro e final de maio completamente sem bolsa”, reclama.

Emocionada, ela frisa que contou com a ajuda de alguns professores. “Eles se juntaram, pegaram partes de seus próprios salários, o que deu quase uma cota, foi o que salvou nossas vidas em dezembro, isso realmente foi muito acolhedor, fiquei muito grata”, reconhece.

Mas os desafios continuaram nesse período. “Independentemente do que estivesse passando, ainda tinha que defender [a tese] Until June and rewrite the thesis, because due to the epidemic, I had to change the previous project and start practically from scratch. I had a new baby and under strange conditions of poverty by law we were at that moment less than half the minimum wage per capita [para cada indivíduo]. What food did they give the children at home. In the end, I made a dissertation that fell far short of what I could have done if the circumstances had been a little better.”

Even in ordinary situations, she points out, the challenges faced by scientists are significant. “40+ hours spent in the lab during the week is not limited to that. You go home and you still have a series of demands related to graduate school, not to mention caring for the family. I have an atypical child who generates specific demands. In addition to being a graduate student, being a mother I’m also a person and I have my own personal needs, I have reasonably important health requirements, because I’m physically disabled. Besides, I don’t have labor rights, in graduate school there is no such thing,” he concludes.

Despite all the obstacles, she managed to finish her master’s degree and still wants to get her Ph.D. But I’m trying to get some level of stability before that. I am a born researcher who discovered that doing research can be a career.”

*She collaborated with Camilla Boehm

** I am a fictitious name used at the request of a guest who prefers not to reveal herself