A few notes on women and the university in Brazil

Brazilian population has been experiencing extreme changes in society, especially after the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff in 2016. This process has increased the polarisation between the left and right wing in terms of sociopolitical thought and behaviour. The impact of such changes can be felt in many aspects of life, but mostly in the cultural, social and educational fields. In addition to this, the process of impeachment revealed a terrible misogyny masked within society and reinforced the stereotype of women as having to be pretty and humble, and having no other ‘desirable’ option in their lives but to work as housewives. This idea can be perfectly illustrated by an article published in Veja magazine in April 2016 (Linhares, 2016) which discussed Marcela Temer, the young wife of former vice president Michel Temer. The article stressed the ‘desirability’ of such a stereotype for women by complementing Marcela for being beautiful and well behaved, and for staying at home with her children. It also hinted at the idea that all ‘good wives’ and ‘good women’ should make an effort to achieve such ‘qualities’, and that all women that escape that pattern are not really good ones.