On International Women’s Day, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics released updated data on gender disparities within Brazil. The figures relate to 2022. They indicate progress across various sectors, albeit at a sluggish pace.
However, a notable setback warrants attention: the rate of women among graduates entering STEM careers has declined from 23.2 percent in 2012 to 22 percent in 2022. Conversely, women comprise over 60 percent of graduates in traditional, in-person undergraduate programs.
Barbara Cobo, the study’s coordinator, attributes these trends to societal expectations, noting, “social norms shape these choices; women, often burdened with caregiving responsibilities, tend to gravitate towards fields that accommodate these roles,” Ms. Cobo said.
Regarding work hours, the disparity between men and women has marginally decreased since 2016, with women now working an average of 2.3 hours more per week. This gap is largely influenced by the unequal distribution of domestic and caregiving duties, with women dedicating 21.3 hours per week to such tasks compared to men’s 11.7 hours.
The burden is particularly heavy for black and brown women, who spend an average of 22 hours weekly on domestic responsibilities, compared to 20.4 hours for white women. Racial disparities do not significantly affect men’s contributions.
The unequal distribution of domestic labor also impacts women’s workforce participation, with a 9.6 percentage point difference in employment rates between women with and without young children. Conversely, men with young children are more likely to be employed than those without.
Inequalities persist upon entry into the workforce and extend to retirement conditions. Despite being more educated, women hold slightly over 39 percent of management positions, a figure unchanged from 2016.
Salary discrepancies further underscore gender inequality, with women earning 63.3 percent of men’s income in professions requiring higher levels of education and intellectualization. Notably, exceptions exist within male-dominated sectors such as the Armed Forces, police, and firefighting teams, where women in higher positions receive only slightly higher compensation than their male counterparts.
Our Brazil Daily newsletter showed that having a child in Brazil reduces a woman’s likelihood of holding a job by 37 percent, according to the Child Penalty Atlas. The study examines whether large gender gaps can be explained by differences in the impact of family formation — getting married and having children — on women relative to men.
Politics
Brazil lags behind its Latin American counterparts in the political arena, with women occupying a mere 18 percent of House seats as of 2023. Similarly, female representation in the Supreme Court remains sparse, with only one female justice.
The situation is equally suboptimal within the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva government, disappointing feminist advocates. Presently, only nine out of 38 ministries are led by women.
In response to these challenges, Lula announced initiatives on March 8, allocating BRL 10 million (USD 2 million) for electronic ankle bracelets for perpetrators of domestic violence, BRL 30 million for leadership training programs combating gender-based violence and misogyny, and BRL 4 million for civil society projects aimed at enhancing women’s political engagement.
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