12/05/2023

Women in Mathematics Meeting brings together 150 students

With the aim of discussing important issues in the female universe, such as the reduced number of women in exact sciences, mental health and even the difficulties in reconciling career and motherhood, IMPA students promoted, this Friday (12), the Tuesdays IMPA Women in Mathematics Meeting, which had 150 participants from various educational institutions. The meeting took place in person and online.

The event, which took place on International Women in Mathematics Day, featured a lecture by neuroscientist and UFF professor Letícia Oliveira, who addressed topics ranging from recent female achievements, such as the right to vote and the choice of profession without the husband's authorization, to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, which extended the projection of gender equality in the world by 36 years.

Despite highlighting the numerous obstacles women face daily, Leticia left an important message at the event, which was attended by both women and men. "The pursuit of change is a matter of historical reparation and also of efficiency. The world and science will only function if there is diversity. Diversity increases the quality of science. It is much easier to find the solution to a problem if diverse people think about this problem. For example, menopause itself, a women's issue, is neglected because research teams are led by men and not women. It is also important to say that despite the difficulties discussed here, the changes achieved are irreversible; we can change their speed, but not their direction. The direction is defined; we need an inclusive and diverse approach."

Da esquerda para direita: Fátima Erthal (UFRJ), Letícia Oliveira (UFF) e Karin Calaza (UFF)

Professor Fátima Erthal (UFRJ) presented several studies, including one published in the journal Science, which concluded that girls aged 6 and 7 consider themselves less brilliant than boys. To reach this conclusion, researchers presented the children with a game. One game was designed for "brilliant" people and the other for "very hardworking" people. In the test, it was found that most girls showed interest in the activity described as hardworking, and the boys in the activity described as brilliant – an example of a stereotype that may interfere with women's career choices in the future.

Luiza Miranda, a 25-year-old doctoral student at the Brazilian Center for Physics Research (CBPF), was one of the women who participated in the event in person at IMPA. She highlighted the importance of the initiative. “I found this meeting very interesting and extremely important, and I think it should be replicated in all research centers.”

Laís dos Anjos, 25, who is also a doctoral student at CBPF, said that the event had a unique quality. “These are topics that are always debated, but here possible solutions were discussed, ways of thinking about other actions. It was a collaborative meeting,” the student assessed.

Da esquerda para direita: Luiza Miranda Laís dos Anjos

The meeting also included discussions on gender and sexuality diversity with Elizabeth Menezes and Ana Paula Chaves, and on starting a career with Clarice Netto, Yulia Petrova, and Aline Melo. Carolina Araujo, a researcher at IMPA, and Jennifer Loría, a PhD from IMPA, participated in a roundtable discussion on career and motherhood.

At the event, Carolina told the audience that she had received support from the University of Berkeley (California, USA) to travel with her son. “In 2019, I took a sabbatical year and spent a semester in California. They funded my flight and my son's flight and childcare. If they want mothers to participate in academic life, it's important that society understands that we have to be willing to invest in it. It's a point we're starting to address in Brazil.”