Gender issues of academic women in masculinized research institutions. Case study.

Abstract

Introduction. Various obstacles are faced by women academics in higher education, in the face of cultures and practices that affect their productivity and well-being. Objective. It is intended to analyze the problem of gender and violence experienced by academic women in masculinized higher education institutions, in particular the presence of mobbing and re-victimization due to insufficient action protocols. Methodology. A qualitative ethnographic research approach was used, with the use of narratives and semi-structured interviews, observation of the institutional climate and the review of procedures aimed at the prevention and care of gender violence, as a case study. The interpretation of the data was through grounded theory with a constructivist approach. Results and discussion. Despite the existence of government regulations and commitments on the prevention and attention to violence in different areas, in higher education and postgraduate institutions, it continues to be exercised without considering the adverse effects experienced by academics, in your physical and emotional health and even your productivity. Workplace harassment among equals, also called mobbing, is very frequent and is little attended to despite the formalization of complaints in this regard, the mechanisms are not sufficient or adequate for its sanction and prevention, in addition to the inefficient operationalization of these for not having staff, not qualified for it and resistance to carry it out. Conclusions. The organized protest of women through different media has become visible. Actions are necessary to disrupt privileges and patriarchal ideologies that lead to the reproduction of gender violence in its different manifestations in academic spaces. Mobbing can be sophisticated and disguised, it occurs in workplaces where rationality is privileged, hence the generation of knowledge on the subject is necessary for its visibility, sanction and prevention.