Article: Gender inequality in science is bad for health

This year marks a decade since the United Nations (UN) established February 11th as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The creation of the date draws attention to the importance of seeking gender equity in scientific careers, a space where, for example, the "scissors effect" still prevails: the fact that, although there are already more women than men entering many fields, it is men, and not women, who occupy the majority of leadership positions.

Especially in the last decade, there have been important advances in tackling this inequality. We can mention, for example, funding calls aimed at research by women scientists and by scientist mothers, as well as programs created in public and private institutions to seek strategies for promoting gender equity. This is the case of the Women and Girls in Science Program of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), created in 2019. The program's actions are developed along three lines: valuing women at Fiocruz, encouraging girls' interest in science and promoting debate on gender, science and health.  However, there is still a long way to go.

The fight for gender equality is above all about defending women's rights for them to occupy the places they want in society, be they in politics, management positions or even in science. The under-representation of women in these spaces is exacerbating inequalities that directly affect their well-being. Therefore, even to reach more segments of society in this fight, it is essential to understand the impacts of gender inequality in science across different fields.

For example, in health, women have higher morbidity rates than men, even when controlling factors such as age, income, education and race. They are the ones who most often report chronic problems, severe symptoms and mental health problems, which keep them suffering for 25% longer due to illness. This is shown in an article published in the journal Nature Medicine by Cristiani Machado, Cristina Araripe and Maria Auxiliadora Gomes. This disparity becomes even more evident during the productive years, when certain gynecological conditions have a direct impact on women's ability to work and provide for their families. Added to this is the work overload resulting from household chores and caring for children, the elderly and sick family members, a role socially assigned to them.

However, research priorities historically given to men still focus on diseases with high mortality, neglecting other debilitating conditions that have a significant impact on women's quality of life.

Racism also has a direct impact on health. Black women in the Americas face maternal mortality rates five times higher than those of white women, a reality that reflects structural inequalities. Additionally, there is lack of data that considers racial inputs. In the field of scientific health research, the situation is no different: female participation in clinical trials is limited, and women from some groups are even less represented. This creates a double exclusion, as women continue to be rendered invisible both as researchers and as subjects of study, perpetuating gender and ethnic-racial disparities in health.

Science is not neutral. The scientific knowledge produced reflects the worldview of those who construct it. That is why it is essential to increase the participation of women in science, including black women, indigenous women and women of different ethnicities. These researchers face barriers aggravated by different forms of prejudice, which limit their access to opportunities. Reducing these inequalities requires changes in institutions and the creation of public policies that promote a more inclusive and diverse science. This includes valuing traditional knowledge and combating practices that reinforce historical inequalities.

Progress towards equity depends on concrete initiatives. By adopting practices and actions aimed at promoting gender equality, institutions have the potential to influence broader public policies and drive social change. This can be achieved by implementing initiatives that strengthen the participation of women in leadership positions and broaden their inclusion in the production of knowledge. This effort is essential to increase diversity in the way science is produced and to tackle historical inequalities that limit the presence of women in leadership positions, including in science and health.

* Cristiani Vieira Machado is a researcher at the National School of Public Health (Ensp/Fiocruz) and vice president of Education, Information and Communication (Vpeic/Fiocruz);

Camila Pimentel, researcher at the Aggeu Magalhães Institute (Fiocruz Pernambuco); and Beatris Duqueviz is a doctoral student in the Graduate Program in Public Health at Fiocruz Pernambuco.

Opinion article originally published on the Correio Braziliense website on 2/12/2025.