Women of medical and health sciences and Brazilian publications on Covid-19

ABSTRACT

Despite the increasing historical participation of women in Brazilian scientific production, domestic and labor reconfiguration for the control of the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to reduce women scientists’ productivity. The GenCovid-Br Research aimed to outline a panorama of female production in Covid-19 papers in medical and health sciences, available in PubMed, with at least one author with Brazilian affiliation. From the 1,013 publications by August 14, 2020, 6.1% were written exclusively by women, 17.2% exclusively by men, 31.1% were mixed with female leadership, and 45.6% were mixed with male leadership. Women participated in more papers led by women (50.1% vs. 35.6% in those led by men). Papers in Clinical Medicine, where female researchers are predominant, have fewer female authors, occurring in publications resulting from international collaborations. Our results point to the possible expansion of previous gender inequalities during the Covid-19 pandemic. New studies should deepen the investigation of the magnitude and determinants of such phenomenon, including temporal analyses. Institutional policies must consider gender inequalities in academic assessments, preventing future impacts on women’s careers, particularly young researchers involved in social reproduction.

KEYWORDS
Gender and health; Health sciences; Sexism; Gender mainstreaming; Covid-19