Program offers doctorates to black, indigenous and gypsy women

“The history of Brazil was written by white hands. Both blacks and Indians do not have their history written yet. This is a very serious problem because we go to university, go to school and we don’t have a correct view of the black past”, this speech, by black historian Beatriz Nascimento, kicked off, this Thursday (20), the launch of Atlânticas: Beatriz Nascimento de Mulheres na Ciência Program. The program, led by the Ministry of Racial Equality, will offer sandwich doctorate scholarships (partly done in Brazil and part abroad) and postdoctoral studies abroad for black, quilombola, indigenous and gypsy women “regularly enrolled in a doctoral course recognized by Capes”. 45 scholarships will be offered at a cost of R$ 8 million. “We cannot talk about science without thinking about how diversity is a condition for the production of quality science at undergraduate and graduate level”, stated the Minister of Racial Equality, Anielle Franco. For her, “diversity provides excellence and innovation. People with different identities and experiences can bring up new research questions, develop other methodological and analytical approaches to problem solving. Therefore, it is fundamental for the improvement of science”. The Secretary for Affirmative Action Policies, Combating and Overcoming Racism, Márcia Lima, added that the Atlânticas program was created to “increase the insertion and permanence of women scientists whose racial and ethical characteristics contribute to their intellectual visibility and lack of opportunities”. According to data presented by the folder, only 4.9% of sandwich doctoral scholarships are for black women, while white women have 30.9% of scholarships funded by the National Council for Scientific Development (CNPq). There is no indigenous person with a CNPq scholarship for sandwich doctorates. In relation to postdoctoral fellows abroad, black women are 12.6% of the scholarship holders and white women 37.7%. There are also no indigenous women with a CNPq scholarship doing postdoctoral work abroad. “We hope that Atlânticas encourages more and more women to pursue a scientific career, especially those who have been historically excluded from these spaces”, said Ana Venturine, director of Affirmative Actions at the Ministry of Racial Equality. Beatriz Nascimento A black Brazilian historian honored by the federal government project, Beatriz Nascimento is considered one of the main intellectuals in the country, with contributions in the study of black identity as an instrument of racial, intellectual and existential self-affirmation. Agência Brasil made a profile of Beatriz, who died a victim of femicide in 1995, at just 52 years old. Caminhos Amefricanos The Ministry of Racial Equality announced the launch, on July 31st, of the Caminhos Amefricanos – South-South Exchange Program. The initiative aims to encourage short-term exchanges abroad in African, Latin American and Caribbean countries. Still in the area of ​​education, the ministry informed that it will sign a protocol of intentions with the University of Brasília (UnB) to offer master’s scholarships to seven students in the Graduate Program in Sustainability with Traditional Peoples and Territories at UnB.

Agência Brasil