Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Women in Science

Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Women in Science
Name	Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Women in Science
Native name	Sociedade Brasileira para o Avanço das Mulheres na Ciência
Founded	1980s
Type	non-profit organization
Headquarters	São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília
Region served	Brazil

Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Women in Science is a Brazilian nonprofit organization focused on promoting the participation, visibility, and leadership of women researchers across scientific and technological fields in Brazil. The society engages with academic institutions, governmental bodies, and international organizations to influence policy, support career development, and recognize scientific contributions by women. It operates through national chapters, collaborative programs, and public advocacy to address gender gaps in research institutions, funding agencies, and professional societies.

History

The society was formed in the late 20th century amid broader movements such as the United Nations Decade for Women, the emergence of feminist networks linked to Universidade de São Paulo, and the regional activism seen in associations like Rede de Mulheres Cientistas da América Latina. Early founders included academics connected to Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, activists aligned with Comitê de Direitos Humanos, and scientists who had participated in conferences at Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas and Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Its formative conferences brought together representatives from institutions such as Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, and Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais and paralleled initiatives by organizations like Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico and multinational programs run by UNESCO and UN Women. Over subsequent decades the society responded to legislative shifts involving Lei Maria da Penha debates, interacted with committees at Câmara dos Deputados (Brazil), and aligned with academic reforms at Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação.

Mission and Objectives

The society’s mission emphasizes increasing representation of women at institutions such as Academia Brasileira de Ciências, expanding leadership roles in laboratories affiliated with Instituto Butantan, and promoting equitable grant access from agencies like Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior and Fundo Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico. Objectives include mentoring early-career researchers from programs linked to Programa Ciência sem Fronteiras, advocating for gender-sensitive evaluation criteria used by panels at FINEP, and supporting policy interventions at bodies such as Conselho Nacional de Educação. The organization seeks to influence research councils, university senates, and think tanks including Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada and Fundação Getulio Vargas to adopt measures that benefit women scientists.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs have ranged from mentorship schemes partnering with Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul and Universidade Federal de Pernambuco to leadership training inspired by curricula at Universidade Federal do Paraná and exchange initiatives with European Molecular Biology Organization and African Academy of Sciences. Initiatives include workshops on grant-writing in collaboration with Wellcome Trust-linked projects, science communication training involving journalists from Agência Brasil and editors from SciELO, and data collection projects that coordinate with researchers at Instituto de Matemática Pura e Aplicada and demographers at Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. The society also runs conferences that invite speakers from Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and Latin American centers like Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Chile.

Membership and Structure

Membership draws scientists affiliated with institutions such as Universidade de Brasília, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Instituto de Tecnologia de Pernambuco, and laboratories at Centro de Tecnologia Mineral. The organizational structure features regional chapters tied to municipal research networks in São Paulo (state), Minas Gerais, and Rio Grande do Norte, a board with representatives previously employed by Agência Nacional de Águas, and advisory committees including former members from Conselho Federal de Medicina and educators from Escola Nacional de Administração Pública. Governance includes annual general assemblies resembling practices at Sociedade Brasileira de Química and election cycles that reflect statutes used by Associação Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento das Empresas Inovadoras.

Advocacy and Policy Impact

Advocacy efforts have targeted funding practices at Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico and policy frameworks at Ministério da Saúde and Ministério da Educação to improve parental leave, childcare supports linked to campus facilities at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, and transparent peer review in agencies like Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior. The society has submitted policy briefs to committees within Senado Federal (Brazil) and collaborated on gender audits with think tanks such as Observatório das Metrópoles and research centers at Fundação Joaquim Nabuco. Its interventions influenced program design at funders like FAPESP and informed curricular reforms at teacher-training institutions such as Universidade Estadual Paulista.

Partnerships and Collaborations

International partnerships include ties with UNESCO, UN Women, European Research Council, National Science Foundation, and regional collaboration with Rede CLAR. Domestic collaborations involve joint projects with Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, and university consortia from Universidade Federal do Ceará and Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo. The society has worked with professional bodies like Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical, Associação Brasileira de Engenharia Química, and media partners including GloboNews and Folha de S.Paulo to disseminate findings and mobilize support.

Awards and Recognition

The society administers awards and fellowships honoring researchers affiliated with Instituto Nacional de Matemática Pura e Aplicada, field scientists from Embrapa, and health researchers connected to Instituto Adolfo Lutz. Prizes recognize contributions parallel in prestige to honors from Academia Brasileira de Ciências and commemorate figures associated with historical movements such as advocates from Movimento Feminista Brasileiro and leaders who engaged with Conferência Mundial sobre as Mulheres. Recipients frequently hold positions at institutions like Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Fiocruz, and international appointments at World Health Organization or Inter-American Development Bank.

Category:Scientific organizations based in Brazil Category:Women in science