Distribution of teachers by gender and academic qualification

The debate on gender relations and women’s position in the history of Science is practically seen as an inevitable reflection on the concept of division of labor (^{Lima, 2013}). Some authors theorize that the concept of work should begin to be problematized from domestic work, unpaid work, the formal and informal work (^{Moschkovich & Almeida, 2015}; ^{Barros & Mourão, 2018}), which would enable the “visibility” of a significant part of the working class generally attributed to women (^{Santos et al., 2010}). In addition, one should have in minds that the current gender outlook in chemistry during the COVID-19 should be analyzed and particularized when compared to other natural sciences, as Physics or Biology, so that a more reliable picture of the specific reality of these professionals.

Contrary to what ^{Naidek and colleagues (2020}), observed when evaluating data on 2018, IQ--UFRJ no longer has a symmetrical and parity relationship between the number of male and female teachers: the total community consists of 156 teachers, being 53% men and 47% women, respectively (Table 1). These results also against those obtained so much by ^{Soares (2001}), as for Naidek and colleagues (2020) that pointed out that the female fraction in the productive force in Science in Brazil would be composed of by at most 33%; and those obtained by ^{Moschkovich and Almeida (2015}), who have identified by a maximum of 29%, the female participation among teachers in the area of Chemistry in the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP, acronym in portuguese). However, the results demonstrated at IQ-UFRJ are close to those observed for female representation in chemistry in the United States of America and Portugal (Soares, 2001; ^{Santos et al., 2019}), and significantly higher than other centers of reference in Chemistry in Brazil (UFMG, UFPE, UFPR, UFRGS, UFSC and USP¹) (Naidek et al., 2020). Although a small male dominance (6%) has been identified in IQ--UFRJ, the Chemistry as a specific discipline of science has achieved significant recent achievements for women in early stages of their academic careers, making it attractive for women to fill this once classically masculinized professional segment and thereby diminishing the invisible obstacles provided by horizontal segregation, also known as firewalls, which affect the insertion of women into historically male professional areas (Moschkovich & Almeida, 2015; ^{Barros & Mourão, 2018}; ^{Miller-Friedmann et al., 2018}). However, with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, these professionals are in an even greater position of precariousness (Staniscuasky et al., 2020), as they run the risk of not adapting to the new home office reality, compromising to some degree the achievements made so far.

In the evaluated sample universe, it is possible to verify, according to Figure 1, that the IQ- -UFRJ has highly qualified human resources above the national average (^{Naidek et al., 2020}), where only 3% of teachers have a Master’s degree, 42% are PhDs and 55% have a certificate of research in a post-doctoral project. However, it is noticeable that there are two distinct trends when comparing the distribution of teaching qualifications by gender: teachers who have only the Master’s degrees been practically non-existent (< 3%). The distribution is almost equal among the academics who have a PhD (47%) and those who obtain the certification of post-doctorate (50%). On the other hand, although male teachers have 50% to more professionals, when compared to teachers with only the master’s degree, this fraction is also practically null in this gender (< 4%) and, contrary to the observed among teachers, do not present a close distribution between the two levels higher; most male professionals (≈ 60%) are between those bearing the certification and representative status of a post-doctorate (Figure 1). It should be noted that the IQ-UFRJ, as well as the vast majority of the IFES in Brazil traditionally encourage and authorize their teaching staff to develop post-doctoral research, for a fixed period, releasing them from their duties during that qualifying period.

Source: Authors’ elaboration.

FIGURE 1 DISTRIBUTION OF ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION BY GENDER OF IQ TEACHERS-UFRJ 

In addition to the analyses performed, it is possible to verify a predominance of 17% in PhD training and a 32% male hegemony in training of post-doctorate, which may be an indication that men are seeking to accelerated post-doctoral certification - which, although not a title officially recognized academic, provides a symbolic prestige in the community scientific, thus leaving the previous stratum more quickly behind. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be expected that women will not reach a distribution like that of men in the short or even medium term, not by lack of capacity, but for the impossibility of being able to develop projects of postdoctoral empirical laboratory that are predominant in chemistry, as historically consolidated techno-science.

Generally, the male gender is better qualified than the female gender, not being different among IQ-UFRJ teachers, as 57% of those who have post-doctorates are male. This may be due to the “Scissors Effect”, an indicative of women’s professional trajectory in traditional professions understood to be male, usually interrupted by pregnancy and/or dedication temporary to family life (domestic and/or parental care) (^{Barros & Mourão, 2018}), occurrences that may be even more frequent during the COVID-19 pandemic, which does not have forecast completion in a short period of time (Staniscuasky et al., 2020). Add to the table unfavorable the possibility of further Anthropocene pandemics (^{Chin et al., 2020}; ^{Silva, Soares et al., 2020}). The men working in these same professions, free of such charges, hold conditions more satisfactory to devote themselves exclusively to career and qualification professional (^{Menezes, 2017}; Staniscuasky et al., 2020). Such conditions value your professional resume, which is reflected in both in prestige and salary, as observed in this study. The notions of Scissors Effect can be viewed in the female magisterium in chemistry in Brazil in statistics related to the presence of women at different levels of teaching (^{Moschkovich & Almeida, 2015}; ^{Naidek et al., 2020}).

Distribution of teachers by gender and position

Since the promulgation of the Constitution of the Federative Republic of Brazil (CFRB) in 1988, the public contest became the only enrollment method for the action professional in an IFES of a public nature (CRFB, 1988). Therefore, IQ-UFRJ teachers who joined this IFES after 1988, did so by habilitation in an open competition of tests and titles, presenting the degree in higher education. In addition, still in effective Law 12,863, of September 2, 2013, which updated the Career and Position Plan of Magisterium (CPPM) (Lei n. 12.863, 2013). Also, according to this law, the faculty of the federal universities present only two modalities in relation to the stability in the position: permanent and temporary (Lei n. 12.863, 2013). Access to IFES through prior approval in competitions and titles could lead to a false sense of equality of treatments to the different genders of the teachers, indicating that the vertical segregation would be less pronounced (^{Vaz, 2013}), which is not evident in practice.

Permanent teachers are those who, after having achieved success in specific invitations to tender for investiture in office and after having completed praise the probationary period, are supported by the stability of the service federal public. On the other hand, temporary teachers are those considered to be “visitors” and/or “substitutes” hired for a limited time to meet a demand temporary at the IFES (CRFB, 1988). Although subordinated to Federal Law 12.863/2013, the UFRJ, given its autonomy university guaranteed by the CFRB, has some peculiarities and unforeseen positions in that law. The Institute of Chemistry, as well as the entire UFRJ, has the positions of Emeritus and Collaborating Professor. The professor Emeritus would be an honorary title granted by the institution to retired teachers with an outstanding track record in academic, to keep them in the university environment, allowing them to teach, guide theses, among other teaching activities (UFRJ, 1971). On the other hand, the Collaborating teacher would be the chemistry professional invited to act on a voluntary basis, without remuneration or any kind of employment relationship, being authorized to participate in activities of teaching, research, and extension in the IQ-UFRJ (UFRJ, 1971).

However, when making a stratified analysis of the teaching staff using the criteria demarcated by the federal government’s CPPM is a more accurate picture of the actual situation of IQ-UFRJ (Figure 2). Coincidentally, when they are excluded from the analysis of professionals who have no formal employment relationship (collaborating and substitute), the ratio between teachers remains unchanged at 53% and 47% for men and women, respectively. In addition, in certain categories there is the predominance of a given gender, whether male or female.

Source: Authors’ elaboration.

FIGURE 2 DISTRIBUTION OF IQ-UFRJ TEACHERS BY GENDER AND POSITION 

When evaluating the distribution of positions by gender, obtains a perception most sensitive of the institution’s gender relations, in which it is found that there is a male predominance in all four top positions (Top 4) within the IQ-UFRJ (Figure 2). This in itself suggests the phenomenon known as “Glass Ceiling” or vertical segregation (^{Olinto, 2011}), which consists of women’s difficulty in ascending in the areas considered of the greatest prestige in their respective fields of performance (^{Lima, 2013}; ^{Barros & Mourão, 2018}). Still, the results have shown that the higher a certain position, less chance of a woman obtaining it, constituting a “hierarchical tapering”, and becoming an invisible obstacle in their career of these professionals (^{Vaz, 2013}), practically impossible to overcome, which prevents them from reaching positions of greater responsibility and leadership (^{Moschkovich & Almeida, 2015}). It is invisible because there are no laws or devices established and official social charge which impose an explicit limitation on the professional development of women. This impediment to women’s ascension makes with which professionals move through the intermediate positions arranged in the career, indefinitely, until a certain point (Olinto, 2011). This happens even in fields where women are the majority. As noted by Moschkovich and Almeida (2015), among the professors in chemistry at UNICAMP, it is found that there is only female predominance within the lower ranks, consequently those of lesser prestige at IQ-UFRJ.

Although not surprising, it is quite emblematic that the categories remunerated women who have a 50% or triple teacher predominance substitute and auxiliary teacher, which are precisely the two lowest in the career plan and which require the lowest professional qualification, with only the graduation or one post-graduation lato sensu (Lei n. 12.863, 2013). In turn, the category of collaborating teachers has parity between men and women (Figure 2). No individuals were found in the assistant professor category, which would be the one where the chemistry teacher at IQ-UFRJ should at least have the title of máster (Lei n. 12.863, 2013). In the categories in which it is mandatory to possess the PhD title (adjunct professor and associate professor) (Lei n. 12.863, 2013), there is a relationship asymmetric between the genders of teachers. In the adjunct professor category, there are 51% and 49% of men and women respectively. In the associate professor category, there is 16% to more men than women (Figure 2). This should also be considered, which has been customary in the last two decades that the IFES have been privileging, minimally, the title of PhD in their examinations and titles for the filling teaching positions (^{Vaz, 2013}), and that IQ-UFRJ is very likely to have joined to this trend in their competitions and titles for the permanent provision of teachers.

Although differences between male and female teachers exist, indicating disadvantage for female teachers in the lower categories, is in the analysis of the top of the career, at a time when IQ- -UFRJ teachers are at the peak of their profession, that it is also possible to observe a greater disparity in relation to the gender of the respective chemistry teachers. The number of Titulars teachers men is almost 25% larger than the number of their female professionals (Figure 2). According to ^{Santos andcolleagues (2010}, p. 492, own translation²), “. . . despite the growth in the participation of women in S&T activities, the chances of success and recognition in the career are still reduced” (Santos et al., 2010). This behaviour is perpetuated, among other reasons, because the system is controlled predominantly by men, which makes it difficult for women to higher levels (^{Soares, 2001}; Santos et al., 2010; ^{Moschkovich & Almeida, 2015}).

Thus, it can be said that when evaluating the number of recipients with the professorship emeritus at IQ-UFRJ, it is observed that basically only men can make up this select group, since of the six current teachers emeritus only a woman (17%) was invited to continue collaborating with the university after having obtained his retirement (Figure 2). This unequal proportion between men and women in this category could be explained by the Marianism present in Brazilian culture, according to Soares Marianism would be the “. . . social behavior which glorifies motherhood as the main social role of women and advocates the obligation of this in acting as guardian of moral values” (Soares, 2001, p. 285, own translation³). Therefore, the retired teachers would have the role of acting in defense of the family, helping in the creation of eventual children or grandchildren, or even deserved rest due to the hardships of the double journey (home/work) assumed throughout life (Soares, 2001; ^{Su et al., 2014}).

The Science enterprise ignores the distinctions between the careers of men and women and therefore imposes in an authoritarian way that the women adapt to the male profile of performance so that they do not fall into professional ostracism (^{Barros & Mourão, 2018}). Concerning vertical segregation, it can be inferred that the hierarchical principle overestimates, qualifies and overvalues male work to the detriment, disqualification, and undervaluation of female labor (Barros & Mourão, 2018). The COVID-19 pandemic, which according to ^{Silva, Soares et al. (2020}) is a paradigmatic Anthropocene disease, as well as government measures to combat, may further accentuate the gender gap between IQ-UFRJ teachers, because no matter how immune men are to the impacts of lockdown partial, traditionally, women carry the heaviest burden, making maternity a “penalty” in pandemic times of the anthropocene (Staniscuasky et al., 2020).

On the other hand, one cannot completely rule out the hypothesis that the massive filling of teaching positions by teachers at IQ-UFRJ would be a late historical phenomenon when compared to the trajectory of teachers in this science traditionally masculinized. Considering this hypothesis, there would still be no sufficient time for a significantly high number of women to possess a remarkable academic trajectory that would make them eligible to be titular/emeritus; or that these same professionals would end up choosing to retire in a manner early, when compared to the longer social security contribution time imposed on the men, so they can retire.

Distribution of teachers by gender and academic department

The academic departments are a privileged locus for the evaluation of commitments to the gender diversity of an institution, since they are the units of basic organizational where career prospects are shaped (^{Su et al., 2014}). As of interdepartmental analysis of IQ-UFRJ, it is possible to verify the predominance of a data gender at the expense of another within some departments. According to Figure 3, the Department of Biochemistry and the Department of Analytical Chemistry are mostly female. In the Biochemistry Department, there is a predominance female of 23% and in Analytical Chemistry 120% in relation to the male gender. However, when analyzing the Organic Chemistry Department, it is possible to observe that this is mostly male (61%), as well as that of Inorganic Chemistry (59%) and Physical Chemistry Department (70%) (Figure 3). Except for Analytical Chemistry, ^{Santos, and collaborators (2019}) identified a distribution by gender very close to this study in the chemistry departments spread throughout Brazil (30%; 30%; 25% and 35% women in Organic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Physical Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry, respectively) (^{Naidek et al., 2020}; Santos et al., 2019).

Source: Authors’ elaboration.

FIGURE 3 DISTRIBUTION OF IQ-UFRJ TEACHERS BY GENDER AND DEPARTMENT 

According to Critical Mass Theory (CMT), there must be a growing demand for gender equity in academic departments to achieve a minimum proportion of female scientists. With this, the dynamics can be positively changed, and the frictions provided by gender relations interdepartamental may decrease significantly (^{Miller-Friedmann et al., 2018}). The CMT also points out that an environment where there would be a greater presence of teachers would provide more opportunities and security for teachers to invest in technical activities and necessary for career advancement (^{Moschkovich & Almeida, 2015}).

Still performing the analysis by departments, one can also check the degree of qualification among the genders of IQ-UFRJ (Figure 4). Except for the Department of Analytical Chemistry, male teachers predominate numerically in degree of qualification, when compared with the respective teachers, possessing or more Post-doctoral certifications or more PhD degrees in an interdepartmental analysis (Figure 4).

Source: Authors’ elaboration.

FIGURE 4 DISTRIBUTION OF ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION OF IQ-UFRJ TEACHERS BY GENDER AND DEPARTMENT 

Returning to the dialogue on the sexual division of labor, it should be emphasized that even if approximately 40% of Brazilian families are headed by women (^{Barros & Mourão, 2018}), the economic inequalities rooted historically and culturally in the society allowed teachers the possibility of having employees housekeepers, nannies, nursing auxiliaries and/or caregivers of the elderly to assist with parental care, extended family and maintenance of the house and the family nucleus (^{Moschkovich & Almeida, 2015}). Which would, in theory, allow better conditions to be obtained for such professionals to devote more time to teaching and research activities (Moschkovich & Almeida, 2015). However, it is noted that even with the ease of access to this huge reserve army of cheap and low-skilled labor, the traditional social and sexual division persists (^{Vaz, 2013}), and is aggravated by the implementation of the partial lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which already makes it impossible to hire these same women workers, as well as to use networks of solidarity and mutual help personified in family figures (mothers, sisters and other relatives), or even in health or basic education professionals (kindergartens and schools) (Staniscuasky et al., 2020).

Distribution of teachers by gender and academic production

The Scissor Effect not only affects the level of academic training, but also is perverse to the level of professional intellectual productivity. One of the difficulties that women scientists have always faced the challenge of reconciling motherhood with the other tasks of domestic life with the research activities (^{Vaz, 2013}; ^{Menezes, 2017}). As can be seen in the Table 2, within IQ-UFRJ, only a select group of approximately 22% of teachers has the prestige of the CNPq’s Research Productivity grant (PQ, in Portuguese acronym), which is considered academically a certificate of research excellence or an award of recognition of scientific merit in Brazil (^{Santos et al., 2019}), with men having 83% to plus PQ grants at this institution. These PQ grants have a meritocratic character in the which aim to reflect, at an increasing level, the recognition of academic quality of the scientist (^{Naidek et al., 2020}), starting by rewarding those at the beginning of their career (PQ-2), following until the recognition of the most outstanding researchers (PQ-1A) until reaching the apex (PQ-SR) (Santos et al., 2019), constituting a true scientific capital with the power to attract more financial resources and even more professional prestige (^{Lima, 2013}; Naidek et al., 2020).

As is observed nationally it is quite obvious in Figure 5 that the higher the level of the PQ bag in the Chemicals area, the lower the corresponding fraction of women who own it and (^{Santos et al., 2019}; ^{Naidek et al., 2020}), even at the first level (PQ-2), only 33% are from the female gender, practically following the national trend, but only for this initial stage (34%) and being far behind in the other classes of the PQ scholarship (Naidek et al., 2020). Should to note that, except for PQ-1C level, where parity was identified between the general (50/50), at all other levels of the PQ scholarship, a supremacy is evidenced quantitative of the male gender, culminating in the finding that, at the high level of highlight (PQ-1A), there is total male hegemony, demonstrating that merit IQ-UFRJ women scientists are still very under-represented, in what ^{Lima (2013}) called “subaltern inclusion”, which could become worsen and form an insurmountable gap because of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Naidek and colleagues (2020), the low representation of women chemists in the highest of the PQ grant (1B and 1A) represent a great impact, as they are the researchers at these levels who often make up the Committees of Advice (AC) from development agencies and assist in policy formulation public, thus obtaining status, leadership positions and great influence in the Brazilian scientific community (Naidek et al., 2020).

One can try to justify this disparity by the fact that the members of the Board of Directors of CNPq for Chemistry are in the Coordination of the Science Research Program Chemicals and Geosciences (COSCG) which is composed mostly of men (^{Naidek et al., 2020}; CNPq, 2020a). In that COSCG, there are 42% female and 58% male (Naidek et al., 2020); however, of the twelve members of this committee, only eight are members, with 75% being from the male gender (CNPq, 2020a; Naidek et al., 2020).

Source: Authors’ elaboration.

FIGURE 5 DISTRIBUTION OF CNPQ FP GRANTS BY LEVEL AND GENDER OF TEACHERS 

These results show that there is a clear difficulty of progression to women in the scientific field if used as reference to professional dynamics in male, as if the steps to women’s professional advancement were larger than for men. Notoriously, these distributions change significantly over the historical series within large areas (^{Menezes, 2017}). However, the maintenance of the low proportion of women in the productivity (PQ) of high academic performance in recent period calls attention and calls for institutional commitment to provide initiatives that provide support for changes in social structure that reproduce inequality between men and women in science and education in general (^{Santos et al., 2019}).