Women in the university affirmative actions and cognitive justice

Abstract

Positive discrimination policies adopted by Brazilian state universities include ethnic-racial, socioeconomic and educational background aspects and have favored the access of students from lower socioeconomic conditions, and particularly of women, a segment that already represents the majority of higher education students in the country. From this point of view, this research aimed to analyze the results of Affirmative Action Policies (PAA) adopted by UFBA (Federal University of Bahia) according to the concept of cognitive justice and its contribution for an effective democratization of higher education, with specific focus on the female segment. The present study is part of Abdias Nascimento Academic Development Program (CAPES/MEC), aimed at the analysis of the impacts of the expansion of higher education in Brazil since the PAA. It is a qualitative investigation based on narrative interviews with students from different knowledge areas. The results point out the diverse aspects permeating the process of academic affiliation: among others, stereotypes, prejudice,
discrimination, diversity, inclusion, female wisdom. With the poor and afro descendant women’s participation in higher education, borderline and subaltern experiences and reflections, formerly excluded and silenced – such as the knowledge produced in the realm of traditional wisdom – have been approached.