19/05/2025

Female students organize event about career challenges for women.

The 5th IMPA Women in Mathematics Meeting (EMMI) was held this Monday (19) at IMPA, marking the International Day of Women in Mathematics, celebrated on May 12. The event discusses challenges for women in academia and gender inequality in STEM careers.

EMMI is an initiative of IMPA students and its organizing committee consists of doctoral students Luana Costa and Ana Cristina Barreto; master's student Maria Eduarda Fernandes; IMPA Tech undergraduate students Bianca Zavadisk and Maria Fernandes da Cunha, as well as Cynthia Bortolott, who is doing postdoctoral research at the institute.

At the opening of the event, Luana Costa reflected on the gender inequality that still affects scientific research in Brazil and in mathematics. The doctoral candidate highlighted recent initiatives from IMPA, such as the IMPA Girls Olympics (MOI) project, which participated in the 5th EMMI, and the female quotas implemented at IMPA Tech.

“Our goal is to celebrate and strengthen the presence of women in mathematics. It’s important to talk about the visibility of different social groups, such as women, in positions of power, knowledge production, and decision-making. In mathematics, what does this mean? It means having women publishing, teaching, researching, serving as role models and inspiration for us. It’s essential to see women being cited, honored, awarded, and to have female references in books, events, and leadership,” Luana explained.

The program featured four lectures covering a variety of topics such as mental health, women's contributions to mathematics, pedagogical practices, gender, and diversity. In the morning, psychiatrist Ana Luísa Barquette discussed the topic "How to take care of mental health during postgraduate studies," and Professor Manuela Souza spoke about "The Spring of Women in Mathematics." In the afternoon, the lectures were: "Pedagogical Practices in Basic Education: Narratives of a Trans Teacher in Mathematics Education," by Erickah Alcântara, and "Between Subvarieties, Gender, and Diversity," with Sylvia Ferreira.

Participants in the IMPA Girls' Olympics (MOI) highlighted the importance of the initiative in two academic trajectories. Emanuela Carneiro, an undergraduate student at UFRJ, came into contact with the project in 2022 and began to participate actively. "If I hadn't experienced MOI, perhaps I wouldn't be exploring my potential," she stated. Developed by IMPA, the project aims to encourage female students in basic education to pursue STEM fields.

Another highlight was the roundtable discussion on the stages of the academic journey, which aims to inspire young students to persevere in their paths, contributing to the reduction of female dropout rates in Mathematics and encouraging greater diversity in the field.