Gender equity in scientific production in Peru and Colombia: reality or utopia in public universities?

Introduction

According to the most recent report of the United Nations Population Fund,^1,2 women constitute nearly half of the world’s population, representing 49.7% of the global demographic. This study, as articulated in the 2023 State of the World Population, ³ underscores the imperative to acknowledge the substantial presence and contribution of women within society. It emphasizes the necessity of promoting gender equity and ensuring equitable opportunities for all genders. In this regard, the International Science Council notes that the underrepresentation of women in areas such as engineering science (10%) and mathematical sciences (8%) is especially pronounced.^4–6 Therefore, gender equity in scientific production continues to pose a challenge and remains a topic of growing interest and relevance in academic and social spheres.

Gender disparities in scientific publications persist over time and are evidenced by differences in the number of researchers.^5–8 It is imperative to prioritize efforts that promote gender equity in academic authorship to ensure that the potential of women scientists is not overlooked.⁹ As measured by publications and citations,¹⁰ it has also been found that women are undervalued for their scientific work. These findings highlight the need for inclusive practices and targeted interventions to address gender inequity in scientific production and recognition.

In Latin America, modest advances have been observed in the realm of gender equity. For instance, there has been an increase in the participation of women in scientific research, as evidenced by the case of Mexico in the 1970s¹¹ and the establishment of the Semillero Mujeres Investigadoras (Women Researchers’ Seedbed; ETITC) in Colombia.¹² These developments have facilitated the presence of women across various disciplines, particularly in research. However, significant challenges remain regarding the equal participation of men and women in terms of scientific production. The gender gap in academia and research is a multifaceted phenomenon that extends beyond simple numerical representation. Women’s participation continues to be influenced by structural variables.¹³ Several factors contribute to this phenomenon. First is the academic offerings, specifically women’s enrollment in STEM and science programs. Second are research policies, including calls for proposals, the formation of evaluation committees, organizational culture, inclusive funding, and the distribution of incentives and/or recognition. Third is the researcher’s profile, which encompasses economic income, geographic location, age, marital status, family responsibilities, educational level, and field of study.¹⁴

In countries such as Peru and Colombia, has gender equity truly been achieved in this field, or does it remain a utopia? A multitude of studies have demonstrated that women are underrepresented in both publication and citation rates across various scientific disciplines.¹⁵ This underrepresentation is also evident in the field of academic research, where women are less likely to be first authors, often occupying a more marginal position.¹⁶

In the specific context of Peru and Colombia, disparities in the participation and representation of women in scientific production persist. Although policies and programs have been implemented to promote gender equality in academia, much remains to be done to address the underlying challenges and create a truly inclusive and equitable environment for all researchers, regardless of gender. In Peru, women constitute only 30% of researchers. Furthermore, among all authors listed as first authors in research papers, only 26% are women.¹⁷ In Colombia, women represent just 38% of researchers. A recent study revealed that there are 6,411 female scientists in the country. This figure is particularly noteworthy in light of the increasing discrepancy in publication output between senior researchers, those with greater seniority or experience, and researchers with doctoral degrees.¹⁸ This suggests that even after obtaining advanced degrees and entering the workforce, women continue to be underrepresented in academic output compared to men. A gender gap of 5.8% is evident among emeritus researchers, defined as those over 65 years of age who have made significant contributions in their respective fields. This disparity, observed between 2015 and 2021, indicates that male researchers are more likely to attain emeritus status than their female counterparts. Such inequities can be attributed to systemic barriers encountered by women rooted in pervasive discrimination.¹⁹ In other words, access to graduate education and labor integration alone are not sufficient to ensure equal representation of women in research. Researchers from Peru and Colombia have made important contributions across various fields.

In Peru, studies have demonstrated that female scholars specializing in psychology produce a lower volume of scholarly work than their male counterparts. Additionally, women scholars tend to collaborate more frequently with male counterparts and focus their research on clinical and health-related topics.²⁰ In Colombia, a generalized gender disparity in scientific publications has been observed, with high-level female researchers and those holding doctoral degrees showing the lowest levels of editorial participation.⁷ Furthermore, a gender gap in scientific production has been documented among Peruvian physicians, with observable factors such as years of medical practice, researcher accreditation, and academic status contributing to the disparity.²¹ These findings underscore the need to address the underrepresentation of women in scientific research and to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in the scientific workforce in both Peru and Colombia. Therefore, the research question guiding this study is: “What are the challenges and opportunities that will contribute to achieving gender equity in the scientific production of national universities in Peru and Colombia?” The general objective of the study was to analyze the challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equity in the scientific production of national universities in both countries.

Methods

The mixed approach represents the collection of quantitative and qualitative data that are harmoniously articulated to obtain a global and interpretative vision of the phenomenon under study. In this sense, the research adopted a mixed approach to understand the realities associated with the variables gender equity and scientific production in national universities in Peru and Colombia, leading to the generation of both numerical and comprehensive results within an interpretative vision. Likewise, the method was analytical, allowing for an understanding of reality from both an objective and subjective perspective in interaction with the social context.⁴⁶ Consequently, this approach is regarded as a foundational framework for comprehending and interpreting the phenomenon of gender equity and scientific production in national universities in Peru and Colombia.

The mixed-methods design is conceived as the combination of quantitative and qualitative data; its nature is dynamic, interactive, and reflexive, as it engages directly with the reality of the phenomenon under study.⁴⁶ In this sense, the design determines the path or activities that the researcher must undertake to achieve the study’s objectives. Therefore, the approach adopted in this study is consistent with a dynamic, interactive, and reflexive design. This design was employed to analyze gender equity and scientific production in national universities in Peru and Colombia.

Population refers to a set with similar characteristics, represented by people, organisms, objects, or animals, depending on the nature of the phenomenon under study.⁴⁷ The research included fifty (50) national universities accredited by the National Superintendence of University Education (SUNEDU, for its Spanish acronym) in Peru, as well as thirty-four (34) national universities in Colombia, accredited by the Sub-Directorate for Quality Assurance in Higher Education through the Quality Assurance System in Higher Education (SACES, for its Spanish acronym). The population thus consisted of 84 national universities from Peru and Colombia. In addition, six (6) research professors or research managers with a minimum of five (5) years of experience at the university level were interviewed to understand perceptions of gender equity in scientific production in both countries. Participants were selected intentionally and ensuring representativeness in each country (three Peruvians and three Colombians). They were initially contacted by telephone and later by email.

The study was approached through integrative phases to gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon under investigation. The exploratory phase enabled an examination of the variables under study, contextualizing the phenomenon within the realities of national universities in Peru and Colombia, along with a review of the theoretical foundations of the variables. Consequently, the descriptive phase entailed the formulation of a work plan or research design, which served as a guide for researchers in achieving their objectives. During this phase, the instruments to be used for both quantitative and qualitative data collection were identified. As a final result, conclusions and recommendations were generated for subsequent dissemination of the findings in scientific journals.

To analyze trends in scientific production in national universities in Peru and Colombia from a gender perspective, data were reviewed from institutions responsible for scientific development and research in each country—specifically, the Ministry of Science of Colombia (https://minciencias.gov.co/la-ciencia-en-cifras/produccion) and the National Council for Science, Technology and Innovation of Peru (https://servicio-renacyt.concytec.gob.pe/busqueda-de-investigadores/) were reviewed. However, it should be noted that the data for Colombia were only updated through 2021, which precludes an entirely equitable comparative analysis. Therefore, the analysis proceeded using data from the Scopus database. Filters were applied to isolate scientific production by country, taking into consideration the time range from 2022 to October 2024, selecting only documents with a final publication status, and limiting participation to affiliations with public universities. In Peru, 5,075 publications were identified whose first author is affiliated with a public university, while in Colombia, 14,747 such publications were identified.

To establish the distribution by gender, a binary classification model (male and female) was used, as the database did not include this criterion. This is a recurrent methodology in scientometrics²⁴; however, its limitations should be noted, as the variety of names and the existence of gender-neutral names may result in erroneous assignments in gender classification.

For the inference process, the artificial intelligence (AI) Data Analysis Report AI developed by OpenAI was selected, employing a machine learning model. The methodology began with the preparation of the dataset and the identification of the names of the primary authors of each publication. Subsequently, a supervised machine learning model was used to classify the names based on prevalent patterns associated with male and female names. Ultimately, the model was implemented to categorize each publication. This process enabled the establishment of gender classification for the entire Colombian sample. However, in the case of the Peruvian data, 337 publications could not be categorized due to the absence of sufficient information—specifically, the initial letter of the name—which precluded their classification.

The interviews were conducted by mutual agreement between the researchers and key informants, who were asked for and provided their written informed consent. The interviews were held via Google Meet, which allowed for full recording. An interview script was used as an instrument to facilitate understanding of the study phenomenon. Once the interviews were conducted, they were transcribed, and the document was sent to each of the interviewees for validation. Bubbl.us,⁴⁸ a tool that enabled the structuring and connection of emerging categories, was used for the development of the category network.

Results

This section elucidates the information analyzed based on the variables of gender equity and scientific production. It is worth mentioning that the research adopted a mixed approach, offering both quantitative and qualitative results. Each is presented below.

Results of the qualitative analysis

Six (6) interviews were conducted in June and July 2024 with university professors experienced in research and/or research management for the purposes of qualitative analysis. The semi-structured interviews were based on an interview script related to the topic of the study and were conducted through Google Meet, which served as an instrument to accurately record the information provided by key informants. Once the information was gathered, the interviews were transcribed verbatim for analysis. This process included microanalysis, or content analysis, line by line and word by word, of each information protocol. In addition, the method of constant comparison between each of the dimensions and properties was employed simultaneously, ensuring consistency. Furthermore, the qualitative results are presented in natural thematic units, highlighting the opportunities within the management of national universities in Peru and Colombia to promote gender equity in scientific production. Each interview was coded as Interview No. 1 through Interview No. 6 to protect the personal data of the interviewees. The results of each thematic unit are presented in Table 4 below.

Table 4. Opportunities in university management for gender equity in scientific production.

Thematic unit: Opportunities for the management of national universities in Peru and Colombia to achieve gender equity in scientific production
Interviewees No. 1−6
Comments	Interpretation
Interviewee 1: “It is necessary to have research policies that lead to improved scientific production and gender equity.” “Yes, those conditions do exist, but it also depends on our vision and ability to look at our reality and contribute to it.” “Therefore, implementing that policy is the way forward at this point. Here, there is an early childhood law that guarantees children access to education, programs, and inclusion.” “Right now, there is a concept here called the quadruple helix, where civil society, organizations, and public and private entities come together to propose new actions.” Interviewee 2: “There must be a paradigm shift in university management and, with this, a change in research procedures.” “I believe that creating opportunities for all individuals and taking the time to consider the competencies for which they are trained and preparing themselves could potentially eliminate gender gaps. We are the ones who are creating the gaps.” “I believe that the opportunity should be available to everyone, and yes, women have been greatly affected. I thank history, I thank the women who came before me, I thank the organized minority groups, but we are no longer a minority.” “I believe that it has to do with empowerment and access.” Interviewee 3: “Opportunities are there. What we need is a new vision of managing research, giving opportunities to women.” “In general, Peruvian universities do not invest heavily in research; there are no major research development policies. The research courses included in university curricula are imposed by the regulator.” “So, really, to think that universities have strong research policies and that, unfortunately, women are discriminated against in them is not entirely accurate, because in general, university research policies are weak. So, let’s say that in that situation, universities are already interested in issues related to rankings, which basically includes women, right?” Interviewee 4: “We need to be given opportunities to generate changes in research.” “Maybe there are some policies that give women flexibility to continue their work or research, but in these processes, for example, maternity or pregnancy, we need to give them that flexibility of virtuality. The researcher’s work, therefore, does not require her to be in the field.” “Evaluating the person more by their scientific productivity—articles, papers—than by the hours sitting at a desk.” Interviewee 5: “Universities must understand the importance of women and their capabilities in research management.” “So this also has to be considered when working on gender policies, because sciences and structures are not the same. Every policy has to be thought about at both the big-picture level and the level of differences. Maybe there are more women than men in some subjects and fewer in others. It’s more about whether I should give extra points to one or the other because I want to seek equality, and the same should apply to all.” Interviewee 6: “We must work hand in hand with both women and men in conditions of equality, as this leads to maintaining an increasingly fair and equitable society, eliminating social stereotypes.” “Give more opportunities to women. Provide opportunities to promote projects funded by the state, by CONCYTEC, and give women the opportunity to do research on this topic and introduce proposals to improve reduction. Problems are not solved by a simple guideline but by constant participation and research. As part of this, identify the gaps. In other words, what are the real causes or factors that create this gap?”	To generate substantial changes in universities in terms of gender equity in scientific production, it is necessary to establish research policies that are consistent with the current context, providing equal conditions for both men and women. Opportunities must give equal opportunities that lead to the inclusion, integrity, and participation of men and women as equals. A paradigm shift is needed in university and research management, where both men and women are integrated to lead to sustainable transformations contributing to the development of an equitable society. Under this vision, universities must guarantee conditions of equality so that both men and women can develop their professional and research skills within spaces of participation, respect, and tolerance, contributing to the development of an increasingly fair and equitable society. Therefore, opportunities will always be latent; it is necessary for men and women to assume those opportunities and crystallize them in a university management that bets on balance and equal conditions for all. Likewise, the opportunities that universities should assume must be accompanied by research policies coherent with the social context and the vision of humankind as a social subject, leading to integrated processes and generating spaces of equality so that both men and women can develop their knowledge. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a change in the way national universities in Peru and Colombia are managed. This change must include women playing a very important role in research, with men helping them. This would help research develop. This requires providing the necessary conditions in terms of research policies, as well as adequate processes and procedures that lead to systemic change in universities. Furthermore, research policies must be understood by all, reflected as core axes in all academic processes, with the true spirit of research emerging in each of the educational actors involved in the process. That is, research as a formative process, but at the same time, research as a scientific process. In this way, scientific research must come along with popular knowledge, as a process of integration where both emerge to give a different vision in the approach to social phenomena. Therefore, universities must have good research policies that, on the one hand, should create research processes and, on the other, respond to the social needs around us.

The Figure 1 illustrates the semantic network obtained from the coding and constant comparison of the six interviews conducted with university professors in Peru and Colombia. Central categories such as Research policies, Equal opportunity, and Equity are interconnected with themes related to productivity, innovation, inclusion, and institutional management. The network highlights the role of public and private sectors, the importance of investment and training, and the relevance of management skills and regulatory frameworks. Together, these elements reflect the opportunities and challenges for promoting gender equity in scientific production within national universities in both countries.

Figure 1. Semantic network of university management for gender equity in scientific production.

Discussion

In the context of research, gender equity is a multifaceted, intricate, and systemic concept that must be comprehended from diverse social perspectives. It entails the interweaving of relationships with other concepts, thereby contributing to the development of an equitable society. In this sense, men and women serve as the central axis of social transformation.²⁷ Consequently, gender equity at the university level should be regarded as a pivotal component in the joint construction of the concept of man as a social entity. This entails the establishment of spaces that facilitate the development of competencies among both women and men within an environment characterized by respect, participation, tolerance, and contribution to the sustainable and inclusive advancement of society.²² On this basis, it is worthwhile to examine the metrics of scientific production at national universities in Peru and Colombia, taking into account the gender criterion. The study revealed a predominance of male over female scientific production in both Peru and Colombia. These results show that, although efforts are being made to achieve gender equity within universities, it seems to be limited by the mindset of the management itself, entrenched in a traditional paradigmatic vision and even the same stereotypes present in society, as a limiting factor that considerably affects the progress of gender equity in universities. It is necessary to generate changes in their functions, with gender equity as the main axis.²²

According to,²³ equal opportunities must be given at universities so that both men and women can develop their competencies in accordance with their vocation for service, promoting the development of an inclusive society and the formation of a social subject who can understand differences but, at the same time, has the ability to integrate points of disagreement, contributing to the global understanding of their own social context. Therefore, the social subject to be formed must internalize the vision of their own reality, understand their socio-historical context, and allow spaces for inclusion where both men and women can develop their professional, personal, and social competencies.

In understanding the trend of gender equity in scientific production in the national universities of Peru and Colombia, a very marked tendency of male dominance in scientific production can be observed, since men have historically led research projects, leaving women to perform office activities, an aspect that has limited scientific production by women.²⁵

In addition, the scientific production of men places them in an important plane of analysis, since they often lead the research and are the main or corresponding authors, whereas women are relegated to third, fourth, or other co-authorship positions.²⁶ This reality calls for changes in research management, as it is necessary to provide equitable conditions for both men and women to lead research projects. There is an urgent need for a renewal in the paradigmatic vision of scientific production, since women have been gaining important spaces in the country’s scientific, technological, and social development.

Under this vision, it is necessary to offer opportunities for equity in scientific production, leading to the generation of scientific indicators that allow for the evaluation of production metrics, in addition to trends or variables for comparison, giving rise to a situational analysis of the role of women in science.³⁵ Hence, science itself must become a voice of inclusion, of transcendental change, and of equitable conditions, contributing to the formation of a fair and just society.

Regarding the perception of research professors about the conditions for gender inclusion in research development in national universities from Peru and Colombia, the results show that the process of gender inclusion is slow. In other words, there is no clear intention from the universities to generate substantial modifications to change the panorama of the underrepresentation of women in the different areas of scientific knowledge.

Universities, as spaces for divergent thinking and key actors in the socio-productive development of the nation, must carry out internal and external situational analyses,³⁷ leading to the reformulation of their research policies and the generation of changes not only in the drafting of documents but also in the organizational culture and in the management of the institution’s human talent. Diagnosing the gender distribution of the scientific production at each university should constitute the starting point.

Universities must initiate processes to reformulate their policies in order to guarantee gender equity,³⁸ leading them to disassociate themselves from linear, utopian, and traditional thinking, which limits the vision of change held by university management. Providing women with spaces for the meaningful co-construction of an increasingly plural society is therefore necessary, where men and women join forces in the academic formation of the new social subject that society demands.

Moreover, the absence of gender equity conditions in universities should not be reflected in inert documents but rather in the actions of every collaborator, providing equal conditions for all and ensuring productivity in each of the functions to be performed.³⁸ Therefore, it is necessary to generate substantial changes in the organizational structure of universities, in the paradigms that sustain them, and in the mental framework of their human talent.

Humanization processes are imperative in academic institutions to comprehend individual as well as collective aspects, thereby facilitating the integration of perspectives into the organization’s productive development and the cultivation of human talent.

Furthermore, with respect to the challenges and opportunities inherent in the management of national universities in Peru and Colombia, it is imperative to achieve gender equity in scientific production. To this end, universities must make substantial changes to their paradigms and to their human capital, as a multifaceted process that facilitates the accumulation of scientific knowledge.

Urgent academic-administrative restructuring at universities is required, one that transcends bureaucratic procedures and focuses on the human essence, the socio-historical context, and the value of the self as a historical subject. This triad must be internalized as a transformation process reflected in the actions of each university actor, providing conditions of equity in which men and women can carry out their academic and administrative responsibilities, thereby making a substantial contribution to the development of both the university and society. Universities must interpret their socio-historical context, the evolution of human beings in their formative processes, and the construction of an inclusive society, thus generating opportunities for both men and women to develop their competencies in a balanced way.⁴¹

The transformation should extend beyond the research processes of universities,⁴² wherein research departments and vice-rectorates develop policies in accordance with prevailing circumstances, resulting in a shift in the paradigmatic vision of research direction. This transformation must internalize the value of women and provide ideal conditions for their significant contributions to the country’s scientific development. This implies a systemic complement, not an exclusion of men, but rather their integration into a systemic vision that enables both men and women to generate substantial changes in the paradigmatic vision of how research is approached.

Therefore, research directorates and vice-rectors’ offices must elaborate research policies and create procedures and norms that offer a range of opportunities so that both men and women can develop their full potential.⁴⁵ This leads to an understanding of research as both a training process and a research process, where men and women are integrated in a balanced manner for the development of research projects that are reflected in the scientific production of universities. Thus, it can be concluded that women will not be granted privilege solely on the basis of their own circumstances. Rather, it is a process of integration in which both men and women are given the same opportunities for research development.

Ethical considerations

The research project was reviewed by the Ethics Committee of the Universidad Nacional de Educación Enrique Guzmán y Valle and approved with Resolution No. 1077-2024-R-UNE, on March 27, 2024. The committee verified that the research respected the dignity, identity, well-being, and data privacy of the study sample, without altering the human condition. It should be clarified that the data published in Scopus were used solely for AI analysis, and no additional information about the researchers was disclosed; therefore, ethical risk was minimized and privacy was protected. Similarly, the participants in the interview sample were informed about the research process and provided their voluntary participation through written informed consent. The personal information of this study sample was kept strictly confidential by the researchers.