Brazil Advances Women's Inclusion in Science and Technology with New Legislation and Regional Progress in Santa Catarina
Brazil's Chamber of Deputies approves a bill to boost women's participation in science nationwide, complemented by a Fapesc report showcasing regional gains in Santa Catarina's female-led science and innovation.
- • Brazil's Chamber of Deputies approved Bill 840/2021 to promote women's inclusion in science and technology, featuring equitable academic evaluation reforms and the establishment of a program encouraging girls in STEM.
- • Federal Deputy Franciane Bayer highlighted the bill's importance as a strategic move for Brazil's national development by addressing women's exclusion from science.
- • Fapesc's report reveals significant growth in women's participation in science, technology, and entrepreneurship in Santa Catarina, supported by state programs and increased funding.
- • Despite progress, women still face underrepresentation in Brazil's technology workforce and entrepreneurship, signaling ongoing challenges.
Key details
The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies recently approved Bill 840/2021, aiming to significantly enhance women's participation in science and technology fields nationwide. The bill, championed by Federal Deputy Franciane Bayer (Republicanos-RS), proposes concrete measures such as equitable academic evaluations for women, particularly those who are mothers or caregivers. It includes provisions to extend evaluation periods for visiting female professors by two years and introduces the Programa Meninas na Ciência e Tecnologia (Girls in Science and Technology) to inspire basic education students through STEM workshops led by women scientists. This legislation modifies five federal laws to secure more equitable criteria for women's inclusion in public scientific research funding. Bayer emphasized that excluding women from sciences not only is socially unjust but also hinders Brazil's development, underscoring the bill's strategic national importance. The bill will undergo further review by the Constitution and Justice Commission before moving to the Chamber plenary and then the Senate for final approval (ID 139040).
Complementing this legislative effort, the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Estado de Santa Catarina (Fapesc) published a landmark report titled "Mulheres de Impacto: da Ciência à Inovação em Santa Catarina," showcasing the significant contributions of women to science, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship in the state. Released at the Delas Summit in Florianópolis, the report highlighted increased female participation supported by state programs like Mulheres+Tec and Mulheres+Pesquisa, initiated in 2022 and 2024 respectively. Data shows that from 2022 to 2024, Fapesc funded 78 female-led projects across 21 municipalities, with per-project funding growing from R$57,600 to R$111,300 and total program investment rising from R$1.4 million to over R$4 million. Women now dominate postgraduate science education in Santa Catarina, constituting 65% of undergraduate research participants in 2022 and 69% of doctoral researchers in 2024. Women's participation in Fapesc funding increased from 38% in 2020 to 58% in 2024, peaking at 66% in 2022. Nevertheless, women still represent just 36% of the technology workforce nationally and 22.8% of entrepreneurs. Santa Catarina ranks sixth nationally for patent filings by women, reflecting growing female entrepreneurship and innovation in the state (ID 139044).
Together, these legislative and empirical strides highlight Brazil's ongoing commitment to fostering gender equity in STEM fields, recognizing women's essential role in scientific progress and innovation to secure the country's development future.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.