Gender disparities, career choices, and wage dynamics in science, technology, engineering and mathematics occupations in Brazil

This project investigates the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations in Brazil. Prior research found that women in STEM fields publish less, are paid less for their research, and do not progress in their careers as far as men. This project will analyze national longitudinal data on firms and employees in research institutions, government-owned enterprises, and private enterprises to understand the causes and consequences of these gender gaps.

Tracing changes over 15 years will enable the researchers to track both the entry and the progression of workers in STEM fields through their careers. The approach will enable researchers to determine whether the STEM gender gap can be explained primarily by wage differences at the beginning of the career or by career path differences. Identifying these disparities and their determinants is fundamental to guide policies that aim to reduce gender gaps in STEM.

This project was selected for funding as part of IDRC’s call for proposals “Breaking systemic barriers to women’s participation in science”.

Project ID

109323

Project Status

Active

Duration

36 months

IDRC Officer

David O'Brien

Total Funding

CA$ 206,600.00

Location

Brazil

Programs

Education and Science

Foundations for Innovation

Education and Science

Institution Country

Brazil

Project Leader

Cecilia Machado

Institution

Fundação Getúlio Vargas

Institution Website

https://portal.fgv.br

Outputs

Women in the STEM labor market in Brazil

Paper

Understanding how gender is related to participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) jobs is necessary to design better policies that include the potential of women in an essential sector. This report provides an overview of the STEM Brazilian labor market with a gender perspective using RAIS, an administrative data set from the Ministry of Labor. RAIS covers formal employment in Brazil but excludes the informal sector. The paper describes in detail how the STEM market evolved over time, and presents evidence that events in the informal sector for STEM workers do not differ substantially from the formal sector.

Author(s): Machado, Cecilia, Rachter, Laísa, Schanaider, Fábio, Stussi, Mariana

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STEM classification in the formal labor market in Brazil

Paper

The paper describes Brazil and the United States occupational classification systems, and compares them in terms of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (USBLS) STEM definition. To make the USBLS definition of STEM occupations compatible with the Brazilian classification, it was first necessary to make the occupational classification systems from the two countries comparable. The U.S. Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) is designed to reflect the current occupational structure of the country. Similar to the SOC, the Classificacao Brasileira de Ocupacoes (CBO), by the Brazilian Ministry of Labor, defines an occupation as the aggregation of jobs or similar work situations regarding the activities performed.

Author(s): Machado, Cecilia, Rachter, Laísa, Schanaider, Fábio, Stussi, Mariana

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Brazilian higher education and STEM fields

Paper

This report provides an overview of STEM (Science, Technology Engineering, Mathematics) in Brazilian higher education, with attention to issues of gender diversity. The study used administrative data and a novel STEM field classification methodology, tailored for Brazil and INEP (Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anısio Teixeira) Higher Education Censuses. In the latest census results (2019), women occupied about 30% of STEM seats, while representing over 63% of enrollment outside of STEM fields. The share of women in each STEM group has remained almost constant throughout the last decade.

Author(s): Machado, Cecilia, Rachter, Laísa, Schanaider, Fábio, Stussi, Mariana

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