Condição feminina de mulheres docentes na Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM)

Abstract

Women have gained ground in various social sectors that were historically denied to them by patriarchy. However, these victories are the result of significant struggles and the resilience of the feminist movement, which has made it possible for women to be present in fields such as work, education, politics, and many others. Despite these advances, women still face significant difficulties in their work environments. This unequal treatment is often related to gender, as the patriarchal society has historically assigned domestic roles—such as caring for the home, family, and motherhood—exclusively to women. These factors, when considered in the context of an academic career, make it challenging to balance career and personal responsibilities, as well as to advance to higher hierarchical positions. In this context, the present research is framed as a dissertation submitted to the Postgraduate Program in Society and Culture in the Amazon, within the research line "Social, Environmental Processes, and Power Relations." The central issue guiding the investigation aims to answer: To what extent do the female condition and the academic experiences of female researchers reveal the processes of building and consolidating female careers at the Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM)? The research seeks to explore issues related to the female experience in undergraduate and postgraduate education, challenges and difficulties throughout the career, competitiveness in research, experiences of motherhood, and the balance between private life and professional demands. The general objective of the study is to analyze the condition of women and the experiences of female researchers at UFAM, Manaus campus. The theoretical foundation of the research highlights the interdisciplinary nature of the study, incorporating aspects of education, as well as dialogues with anthropology, history, and sociology, which intersect with the theme of gender. Regarding the methodological approach, the research uses both quantitative and qualitative methods, based on a semi-structured online questionnaire with open and closed questions. Twenty-five (25) female faculty members, active in different areas of knowledge at UFAM, participated in the study. The data analysis, through content, graphs, and tables, reveals narratives about career paths, difficulties, inequalities, and family responsibilities. The results indicate that social relations still perpetuate colonial legacies that create differences between men and women in the university and scientific environments. This highlights that the female condition continues to be marked by significant inequalities, as norms still follow male patterns, hindering women's advancement to the same extent as men, who have more free time to dedicate exclusively to their careers.