Mulheres na matemática: reflexões sobre a desigualdade de gênero e dados do curso da UFPB - Campus I

Abstract

Women, despite producing mathematical knowledge, have historically been silenced, marginalized, and excluded from science. Even today, they remain a minority in the field of Exact Sciences. In this study, we aim to investigate female participation in the undergraduate Mathematics program at the Federal University of Paraíba – Campus I, identifying possible advances or setbacks. The analysis considers the presence of women in both the Licentiate and the Bachelor’s degree tracks in Mathematics. The theoretical frameworks employed allow us to understand that the low female participation in the Exact Sciences results from a social construction, which underscores the need to reflect on the process of including women in Mathematics, as well as on public policies and strategies that may help reduce inequalities and stigmas. In addition to the theoretical approach, the research also relies on quantitative data. For this purpose, institutional documents were requested in order to analyze trends in gender inclusion within the program, thus characterizing an investigation of documentary nature.