The main objective of this work is to help overcome obstacles which prevent a more efficient scientific production and improvement of the work conditions and cooperation among men and women scientists in knowledge creation. The preliminary results of the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) case study indicate no real differences by sex concerning the students learning abilities and academic commitment in careers considered to be male dominated - the hard sciences (mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, etc). In fact, at Unicamp where differently from other universities there is a predominance of hard science courses, female students have outperformed their male counterparts in the majority of Unicamp's courses. Thus, the little interest shown by female candidates in the choice of hard science careers when applying for the university's entrance exam, is certainly biased by cultural habits and prejudices intrinsic to the different ways of raising girls and boys.
Exact Sciences; Engineering; Sex Inequalities at Work
