IMPA Tech students take part in the 4th Women in Mathematics Meeting

14/05/2024

IMPA Tech students took part in IMPA’s 4th Women in Mathematics Meeting on Monday, May 13, at the institute’s headquarters in Jardim Botânico. The event celebrated the International Day of Women in Mathematics (May 12) with lectures and discussions on opportunities, gender inequality in the exact sciences and the challenges encountered.

Organized by postgraduate students from IMPA, the event, both in person and online, welcomed students from other universities and IMPA Tech. One of the participants was Lucía Gutierrez, 18. She described the meeting as “motivating”.

“It’s very important to realize that there are women in the field who have gone through experiences that we have also gone through and yet they have become masters, doctors, researchers and it’s incredible to know that we can also get there,” she said.

The feeling of inspiration was also shared by classmate Bianca Moreno, 17. “I’ve always thought the issue of female representation in the market was very important and I’ve always been very happy to see women in high positions. This allows me to think that I can also occupy these spaces.”

Silvia Azevedo, 26, who is studying pedagogy at UFRJ, described the event as useful. “Opening doors to people outside IMPA who don’t do mathematics is important for broadening the discussion and access to information,” she said.

The program included a chat with IMPA researcher Carolina Araujo, who left the audience with some important advice. “For us women, networking makes all the difference. It’s where we discuss various issues and promote achievements. Gender problems occur all over the world. Believe in yourselves. Don’t be intimidated!”

The event also included lectures on “Opportunity in Mathematics”, with Jaqueline Mesquita, president of the SBM (Brazilian Mathematical Society), “Genders, Sexualities and Mathematical Education”, with the UFRJ group MatemátiQueer; and “Mathematics is not just for them”, with Ana Cristina Vieira from UFMG (Federal University of Minas Gerais).

Luana Aparecida Soares Costa, a doctoral student at IMPA and a member of the event’s Organizing Committee, celebrated the meeting. “It was an event that allowed us to discuss a lot and learn a lot about gender, about welcoming people into very masculine academic environments.”

International Women in Mathematics Day

The date was created with the aim of encouraging the participation of women in the field and celebrating achievements. May 12 was chosen as the birth date of Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani (1977-2017), the first woman to receive the Fields Medal in 2014.

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