WOMEN AND SCIENCE: Review of the situation in Portugal

1. The national situation (background)

Recent research in Portugal shows that the percentage of women among those working in
scientific research is 43,5% (OCT, National Scientific and Technological Survey). These
figures, along with the growth of women in scientific research, place Portugal in a
particular position within the EU, where there is a tendency for the stabilisation of the
number of women scientists since the 80s (Talapessy, 1993 and the ETAN report).
However, those figures must not hide the existence of gender differences with respect to
men and women's representation in the different sciences, as well as with respect to their
positions in the scientific career.

Two historical reasons related to social and political aspects of the Portuguese society
may account for the great number of women scientists in Portugal. The first one was
highlighted by some pioneer sociological studies of the university population in the late
60s (Sedas Nunes, 1968ab). According to these surveys the percentage of women in the
traditionally "feminine" degrees, such as literature and languages was very high, but the
percentage of women studying exact and natural sciences (in particular mathematics and
biology) was also much higher than in most developed countries. The explanation for this
lay in the social selectivity of the Portuguese higher education system, which favoured
the access of the more privileged youth to University, independently of the sex. Thus,
before 1974, the Portuguese society was highly stratified and the profession of science
was almost invisible. Women's access to the higher education system was therefore
facilitated by their social status. During that period, selection based on gender was
particularly noticeable in the professional world, where women represented the majority
of the teaching occupation at all levels except university.

Those studies also showed that a degree in literature, mathematics or biology would more
likely lead the Portuguese female students of the 60s to choose a teaching career
(including at University) than a technological or a liberal professional career. By that
time there was some research in exact sciences and technology both in university and in
(one) state laboratory which was mainly supported by private institutions (such as the
Gulbenkian Foundation), since the National Board for Scientific and Technological
Research was founded only in the late 60s. Furthermore, the development of research in
social sciences was refrained for political reasons until practically 1974. All these factors
account for the recent development of the Portuguese scientific community and of
science as a profession in Portugal. This development took place in the last 20 years, a
period that is characterised by an overall growth of women's employment rates as a
consequence of the disappearance of formal barriers to their access to paid work and
some qualified professions, as well as the consistent improvement of their education.

The beginning of democracy in 1974 contributed to the democratisation of the

educational and occupational system, as well as the development of science. These
changes offered women new professional opportunities and today they represent the
majority of applicants to the higher education system and the majority of university
graduates.

As a result of the historical changes in the Portuguese society we might say that the
development of the Portuguese scientific community in the last 20 years has been partly
achieved through women's contribution (Amâncio and Ávila, 1995). They have made a
great effort to advance in the academic career, as shown by the number of women who
have obtained their PhDs and qualifications since the 80s.

Probably the first extensive study that tried to characterise this situation is from. The
chapter 8 of this publication is a study by Amâncio and Ávila called “Gender in Science”.
According to this study, “both sexes contributed to the development of Science in
Portugal in the last 20 years. On the part of women this contribution was a result of a
recovering effort, clearly noticeable throughout the eighties, to eliminate disparity in the
level of qualifications. However this effort and evolution were not sufficient to avoid
their positioning in the outer circles of the scientific community”.

Neither social class nor the individual achievements fully explain the situation of women
in science, according to these authors. This survey showed the existence of “invisible”
barriers to women's access to science and technology fields, to the top of the professional
career and to positions, which are related with power and scientific influence. Although
the barriers to women's advancement in the career appear overall in the scientific
community, they are particularly accentuated in the exact and natural sciences. The
longest history of these scientific fields in Portugal and the greater competition may
explain the gender differences. However the most recent data shows a significant
progress in the situation mentioned before. The total percentage of women in the top of
the professional career is now 17%, whilst in 1995 it was only 6%. Therefore, it can be
said that in less than one decade this number has been nearly multiplied by three.

In the area of “women and science” Portugal is at the moment sharing in the common
effort to European policy concerning the increasing participation of women in science.
Nevertheless the Portuguese situation has some specific characteristics as mentioned
above. Portugal has a strong presence of women in the scientific community. This,
however, should not prevent analysis obstacles to scientific and academic progression in
their professional career, or on the participation and involvement in research teams, as
well as on research and management of projects. More precise and specific studies on
institutional cultures would help understand the participation of women in science.

2. The policy framework for women and science

The creation of the Ministry of Science and Technology (1995) offered the possibility of
updating the institutional framework of the Portuguese scientific and technological
policy, taking into account the expansion and diversification of the national potential on
science and technology in the last decades. To provide a dynamic and stable reference
system for future development it created a new structure. The co-ordination functions, at
the level of programmes and institutions, were not only reinforced and clarified but they
were also separated from the activities of consulting the scientific and technological

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community, whose independent participation in the establishment of scientific and
technological policies is recognised and guaranteed by law. Accordingly, the
responsibilities of funding and assessment of international scientific and technological
co-operation, information collection, processment and diffusion have all been clearly
identified and committed to three new institutions: The Fundação para a Ciência e a
Tecnologia (FCT), Instituto de Cooperação Científica e Tecnológica Internacional
(ICCTI) and Observatório das Ciências e das Tecnologias (OCT).

The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) is a public institute with
responsibilities for promoting, financing, following-up and evaluation of institutions,
programmes and projects in the area of science and technology as well as the education
and qualification of human resources.

The Institute for International Scientific and Technological Co-operation (ICCTI) is the
department responsible for directing, guiding and co-ordinating all international co-
operation in the fields of science and technology.

The Observatory for Sciences and Technologies (OCT) is a public organism which has as
its mission the collection, processing and production of information on the national
scientific and technological system and has received delegation from the National
Statistics Institute for all that concerns the area of science and technology.

Beyond this specific policy framework which is centred in the Ministry for Science and
Technology structure, and viewing the issue of gender in a general perspective, the
Portuguese Constitution welcomed already the references made in the Amsterdam Treaty
regarding equality issues. Beyond the reference to equal opportunities, equality appears
as a responsibility of the State, in all its policies (mainstreaming approach). The Global
Equality Plan (Council of Ministers Resolution of March 1997) was then an important
step in order to deal with the still unfavourable situation of women in science.

Since September 2000 there has been a governmental reform and nowadays equality
issues in general belong to the Presidency Ministry. Under the auspices of the Presidency
Ministry, there are a Commission for the Equality of Women’s Rights (CIDM) and a
Commission for Equality in Work and Employment (which has a more specific role but is
nevertheless important on this area).

3. Policies mobilised for improving the situation of women in science and

measures adopted to promote the role of women in this area

We can say that there has been a positive evolution in the way of dealing with the gender
issue in Portugal. The statistic indicators show the attention paid to it. At present, beyond
several studies, The Ministry for Science and Technology has implemented a policy that
reflects clearly in the richness of the indicators, regular updating, publications, etc. (e.g.
the publication “Doctor Degrees in Portugal 1970>1997” from OCT).1

1
The OCT web page has many statistics on line and in English: www.oct.mct.pt

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The OCT keeps an updated database of R&D Institutions for the following sectors:
Government, Higher Education, Private non-profit Institutions and Business Institutions.
The purpose is to create conditions that will permit knowledge on the articulation and
integration of institutions in the Science and Technology System. The database also
provides the National Scientific and Technological Survey (IPCTN) and data on gender.

Following the recommendations of the Helsinki Group, ICCTI and OCT have
participated actively in that forum. Furthermore ICCTI promoted the constitution of a
National Group on W&S.

Portugal also participated actively in the April Conference “Women and Science: making
change happen” (3-4 April 2000). Furthermore, in all relevant dissemination of
information on the 5th Framework Programme the ICCTI, when appropriate, includes a
statement concerning the encouragement to the participation of women. The ICCTI web
page has also a specific section devoted to W&S where it exposes and promotes subjects
and events which are related to the involvement of women in various sectors of science
and research.

Following the Global Equality Plan (Council of Ministers Resolution of March 1997),
mentioned in the previous point, a protocol between the Foundation for Science and
Technology and the Commission for the Equality of Women’s Rights (CIDM) was
established. This led to a call for proposals in May 1999. It was a call for scientific
research projects in the issue of gender social relations and policies to the equality
between men and women in Portugal. The objectives were to support, in analysis
substantiated by scientific research, efficient policies on equality of opportunities
between men and women in education and training, in the access to employment and
progression in the professional careers, as well as in their rights to political participation.

The response to this call was quite significant. 28 proposals were received and 13 were
approved. The financed projects have a maximum duration of two years and cover a
range of areas, from Communication Sciences, Economics, Management, History and
Archaeology to Psychology and Sociology. The areas of Psychology and Sociology are
predominant, in the case of all projects presented as well as in the case of the ones
financed. The research teams of the 13 projects, consisted of 13 PhDs and a total of 76
elements.

Finally, mention should be made of the International Conference “Third SME

Technology Days” which took place in 29 and 30 June, during the Portuguese
Presidency, jointly organised by the Portuguese Innovation Agency, the Ministry of
Science and Technology and the European Commission. Specifically there was a panel
session called “Female Entrepreneurs and the Framework Programme”, opened by the
President of the Commission for the Equality of Women’s Rights, Dr. Ana Maria Braga
da Cruz. It had the participation of Nicole Dewandre who presented the evolution of the
issue Women and Science; the President of the Association of Portuguese Women
Entrepreneurs, Mrs. Ana Maria Ribeiro, and a case study of a woman’s leadership in an

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SME. In the afternoon there was an open session on participation of women
entrepreneurs in research.

4. The statistics presenting the situation in the country

Data provided by the OCT and collected in the biannual National Scientific and
Technological Survey is the main source of information. The Survey on 2001 is being
launched at the moment. Data is also provided by the FCT and the Ministry of Education.

5. The active networks on women and science as well as the role they play in the
process
In this section we will be looking for networks that contribute to promote greater women’s
participation in science, which is understood as including “all scientific disciplines which
generate knowledge” (text adopted, European Parliament, PE 284.656, #3).

We will be referring mainly the women’s studies associations but also other networks such as
scientific journals which contribute to promote women in science, university departments and
also the role played by a state organisation such as the CIDM.

A long path has been made, from the first studies, related to the subject of women and science,
published by the Comissão da Condição Feminina (nowadays CIDM), after its appearance in
the late 1970s. Seminars and Conferences have been organised around the area in the most
recent years by different organisations and institutions2. The first masters degree on Women’s
Studies is now in its 5th edition. Last year two women’s studies journals have appeared.

University Departments

It may be said that Women's Studies have started outside the Universities, but have been able to
get some involvement of the Universities however still marginal. The Open University
(Universidade Aberta) has launched in 1995 the first Masters degree in Women Studies and is
now preparing its 5th edition. There are at present 50 applicants and is currently still the only
diploma in the area.

Other university or higher education institutions have introduced women's studies as a subject
matter in first degrees (4/5 years long), or at the level of Masters courses.

In some universities, the emergence of Centres of research on the area can be signalled: at
Coimbra, in the Arts Faculty, the GREF (Group of Feminist Studies); in Portucalense
University, the "Centro de Estudos Femininos" (Feminine Studies Centre); the area of
Women's Studies (1993) in Centro de Investigação e Intervenção Educativas (CIIE, Centre for
Educational Research and Intervention), in Faculty of Education, of Porto University. Among
the Polytechnics, the Escola Superior de Educação, at Setubal, has played an important role,
mainly with the activities of the CIOE, the Centre for Equality of Opportunities in Education.

2
Some authors have produced an overview of the work produced on this subject such as: Ramalho 1995,
Silva, L. (1993), Silva, M.R. 1999, Vaquinhas 1993, Araújo 1993.

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Several higher education institutions either universities (Porto, Coimbra, Lisbon and Évora) or
Polytechnic Institutes (Setúbal, Santarém, Beja) have been organised in an active network
through a common research project launched by the CIDM called “Co-education, from the
beginning to the development of a practice”, for the period 1998-2000. As far as “Women and
Science” is regarded, this project has contributed to focus research produced on equality of
opportunities, gender and school education as well as producing pedagogical materials to
promote a more expanded examination of educational practices and institutional policies at this
light. Some of the International and national conferences on these subjects have also occurred
in higher education institutions in recent years.

Several masters and doctoral dissertations have been pursued within Women’s Studies and
some of them have already been published (e.g. the historical and anthropological construction
of femininity; women and the law; occupations/professions perceived as women’s work;
women and education; women’s movements; girls and youth culture; women’s lives and the
experience of maternity; domestic violence; women’s history within the period of the
authoritarian state, etc.).

Literary Studies are also producing several insights, which should be stressed. Moreover, in
several universities, there are other research projects, which have been financed by national
and international organisations on such areas.

Women's Studies Associations

APEM - Associação Portuguesa de Estudos sobre as Mulheres (Portuguese

Association of Women's Studies)
APEM is a non-profit association, which was created in 1991 with the aim of supporting,
promoting and stimulating women's studies in all areas of knowledge. It seeks to
facilitate contact between researchers and access to databases and documentation centres
through the establishment of co-operation protocols with other institutions. The
association also seeks to disseminate the results of research studies by promoting
publications and organising conferences and debates, thus intervening publicly on issues
related to women's studies.

APEM has been publishing a newsletter about twice a year since its beginning, and the
first issue of its annual journal ex æquo comes out in 1999. It has organised several
meetings and debates (for example, "Studies on Equality and Difference", in 1992;
"Women: Topic and Author of Research", in 1993; "Women's History", in 1995;
"Revising the Electoral Law - New Opportunities for Women?" in 1998) and three
conferences with the participation of national and foreign experts ("Feminism and Sexism
in Portugal", in 1995; "Women and the State", in 1997; and "Equality Policies -
Perspectives and Paradoxes", in 1999). It has also supported and promoted several
projects, such as Patterns of Fertility in Portugal, Women in Business, Coeducation:
From the Beginning to the Development of a Practice (1998-99), Women's Studies in
Portugal (1993), The Third European Feminist Research Conference (1997), and Other
Directions for a New Citizenship (1997).

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We could highlight the organisation of a discussion group on women's studies issues
through internet in the APEM internet address: http://www.apem.web.pt

The administrative structure of APEM includes a Board of Directors with seven

members, a Board of Assembly with three members, and a Fiscal Committee with three
members.

APHIM – Associação Portuguesa de Investigação Histórica sobre as Mulheres

(Portuguese Association of Women’s History)
APHIM is a non-profit association which has seen its statutes published in 1997. It aims
“to promote, support and value women’s history research in Portugal” (#4, quoted in
Alvim 2000:144), hence to facilitate contacts among researchers and access to data base
in this area as well as to disseminate the outcomes of research pursued.

Each year the Association organises a national meeting: “Women, History and Society –
research perspectives in the end of the twentieth century” (1998); “Towards Women’s
History – its contribution to the construction of Portugal”(1999); “To make the History of
Women – from home to school; from school to university”(2000).

Two other women’s associations are also making a contribution to the area of Women
and Science, which are the Women in the Law Profession (Women’s Jurists)
Association and Women and Sport Association. Both have in their Boards women
academics from different Portuguese universities and give support to the pursuing of
research in this area. Both are promoting national conferences on their respective areas
and are publishing the proceedings of these Conferences.

Women's Studies Journals

The women’s studies journals have a very important role in the diffusion of ideas. We
can mention two: exaequo and Faces de Eva (Faces of Eve).

exaequo
The first issue of this women’s studies journal, from Portuguese Association of women’s
Studies - APEM (mentioned previously), has appeared in 1999, on Women’s
Representations, whose papers were selected from the 1998 Conference Women and
Philosophy. The number 2/3 published in 2000 has been devoted to the papers presented
in the APEM International Conference on Politics of Equality. Still in 2000, there will be
a number dedicated to Women and Sport. In 2001, there will a special number, when the
APEM is celebrating its 10th year anniversary as an association, dedicated to an
evaluation of the production in different scientific subjects on gender issues, reviewing
also what has been pursued in Portugal.

Faces de Eva
This women’s studies journal is published by the Instituto Pluridisciplinar de História das
Ideias, in the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, in Lisbon, as stated above. It is a bi–
annual publication started in 1999. The issue number three has appeared in 2000. The

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journal is related to a more enlarged project with the same title, which comprises the
organisation of several conferences. It is also connected with the production of research
and the Dicionário no Feminino, séculos XIX-XX (19 & 20th centuries Women’s
Dictionnary), financed by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) aims to be a
contribution to overcome the lack of methodological instruments in Women’s Studies in
Portugal, and will focus on women’s journals, institutions, as well as feminists lives and
contributions in the first decades of the 20th century, among other issues. The journal has
the following address in Internet: http://www.fcsh.unl.pt/facesdeeva.

Finally it is worth to mention that some of the activities undertaken by these networks are
supported by the Commission for the Equality of Women’s Rights (CIDM) as far as they
are members of its Consultative Board.

6. The involvement of the private sector in promoting women in science

The information available regarding this sector is still very scarce. Yet, the data
concerning the private sector are the following: companies according to researchers in
number, companies by gender according to age, to their academic degree, scientific area
and scientific area of activity. In any case, these tables may be considered as a reasonable
starting point. This issue of the Private Sector will from now onwards be followed
closely. For the statistics please see annex 2 of the referred data.

7. The tools established to assess the impact of those measures

The subject of indicators for equality is an activity that is still in an embrionary stage.
Yet, there exists already a starting point where more in depth studies can derive from.
This is the case of a proposal advanced by the Commission for the Equality of Women's
Rights (CIDM) -“Indicators for Equality- an unpostponable proposal”- which presents
indicators for equality in general, but where some important indicators for “women and
science” can also be found, for they are directly or indirectly linked to the specific
question of constructing indicators solely in this area.

We would like to mention some of these indicators as the examples clearly show the
diversity and magnitude of this particular issue which needs detailed examination in order
to provide an accurate picture of the Portuguese reality as far as indicators are concerned.
They are as follows: Demographic indicators, structural indicators of indirect nature,
extensive data on social practices, extensive data on social representations and values,
monographic studies, A second group of examples may be: external production, internal
production, power of decision, children's socialisation process, networks and family
support, representations on family and marriage, social parameters framework, indicators
of time usage. A third and last type can be of indicators such as indicators of individual
characterisation, indicators of the characterisation of the students' family and indicators
on the education trajectory.

The National Working Group on Women and Science commits itself to look at this
proposal more closely in the near future for it finds its contents significant for more
studies and results.

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8. The most significant case studies
We can mention as a success case the significant qualitative rise of the presence of
women in the academic career in Portugal. In 1995 the Open University (Universidade
Aberta) launched the first Masters degree in Women Studies and is now preparing its 5th
edition, with a number of 50 applicants. It is currently the only degree programme offered
in this field.

9. The future perspectives at national and EU level

At national level, we intend to continue the work within the recently formed national
group on W&S. One of the upcoming issues will be following up the works of the
projects financed by the FCT and start evaluating their results.

At EU level, we very much welcome the essential starting point which was the ETAN
report and its recommendation. It was an excellent report in terms of a global vision of
the situation in general and launched the debate. We also welcome the reference to
women in science in the communication on the European Research Area and the work of
the Commission on this issue followed by the Helsinki Group. The preparation around
the 6th Framework Programme will be as well a privileged moment to bring this issue into
light.

At the present stage, we need in depth studies to understand the objective and subjective
barriers that women face when accessing science and the progression in science (e.g.
careers). This is the only way that we can implement effective measures to face the
inequality sometimes hidden. We need also studies that have as a starting point the
diversity of the situations in the several countries but that aim and succeed to attain
instruments and measures that can be applied to every country. The Commission is doing
an effort in this sense and we expect that in the future 6th Framework Programme the
issue of gender and women in science will be even more visible in the one hand and
studied in the other.

Helsinki Group on women and science

January 2001

Portuguese national report by:

• Dr. Ana Luzia Reis, Commission for the Equality of Women's Rights
• Prof. Maria João Valente Rosa, Foundation for Science and Technology
• Prof. Lígia Amâncio, National Delegate to the Socio-economic key action of the
Programme Improving Human Potential and Socio-Economic Knowledge Base
of the 5th Framework Programme
• Prof. Teresa Patrício, Dr. Carla Santos and Dr. Lígia Silva, Institute for
International Scientific and Technological Co-operation
• Dr. Maísa Ribeiro, Observatory for Sciences and Technologies
• Prof. Helena Costa Araújo Portuguese Association of Women's Studies

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References

This list of references includes works quoted in the report as well as others by Portuguese
researchers that are relevant in this domain.

AMÂNCIO, Lígia e Ávila, Patrícia (1995), "Gender in Science" in J. Correia Jesuíno (eorg.), A
comunidade Científica Portuguesa nos finais do século XX, Oeiras, CELTA, 135-162

ALVIM, Maria Helena Villas-Boas e (2000), “Ser Mulher Ontem e Hoje; e Amanhã?” in Faces
de Eva – Estudos sobre a Mulher, 3, 137-148

ARAÚJO, Helena Costa (1994) , "Sabemos hoy en Portugal más sobre las Mujeres que hace diez
anos"? - Estudos sobre las Mujeres en Portugal y el Estado de la Cuéstion", Communication
presented in the Summer Course "Género: Educacion Y Ciudadania", Universidade Complutense
de Madrid, San Lorenzo del Escorial

CIDM - Comissão para a Igualdade e os Direitos das Mulheres, “Indicadores para a Igualdade,
uma proposta inadiável”, Cadernos da Condição Femini9na nº 47, ed. Comissão para a Igualdade
e os Direitos das Mulheres, Presidência do Conselho de Ministros, Lisboa, 1997

FERREIRA, Virginia (1998), “Engendering Portugal: social change, state politics and women’
social mobilisation” in A.C. Pinto (ed.) Modern Portugal, Palo Alto, CA.: The Society for the
Promotion of Science and Scholarship, 162-188

MARQUES, Leonilde (1999), “Doutoramentos e Mestrados nas Universidades Portuguesas de

1975 a 1998”, Comissão para a Igualdade e os Direitos das Mulheres (CIDM)

RAMALHO, Maria Irene (1995), "Portugal Report", SIGMA Report, European University
Networks

SILVA, Luisa Ferreira (1993) , "Os Estudos sobre a Mulher Portuguesa na perspectiva Psico-
Social" in Estudos sobre as Mulheres em Portugal, Lisboa: Comissão para a Igualdade e os
Direitos das Mulheres (CIDM)

SILVA, Maria Regina Tavares da (1999), “Estudos sobre as mulheres em Portugal: um olhar
sobre o passado”, exaequo (1), 17-28

VAQUINHAS, Irene (1993), "Estudos sobre as Mulheres na Area de História" in Estudos sobre
as Mulheres em Portugal, Lisboa: Comissão para a Igualdade e os Direitos das Mulheres (CIDM)

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