Gender Stereotypes and Gender Gaps: A Theoretical Review of Violence

Abstract

Gender-based violence in Mexican education, particularly in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), constitutes a problem that affects students, faculty members, and women researchers, despite their relevance to the country’s scientific and technological development. Although women’s participation in these fields has increased, inequalities persist in their professional training, entry, retention, and advancement in research activities. This situation is not coincidental but rather results from the convergence of various forms of violence, discrimination, gender stereotypes, and gender gaps that shape their academic and professional trajectories. From an early age, women encounter beliefs that associate mathematics and science with predominantly male abilities, which can undermine their confidence, limit their aspirations, and reduce their interest in pursuing STEM careers. These stereotypes are reproduced through cultural practices, the media, authority figures, and the limited visibility of female role models in these fields. Likewise, higher education institutions continue to exhibit biases and dynamics that contribute to the reproduction of inequalities and various forms of gender-based violence. In this context, the limited effectiveness of institutional mechanisms for preventing and addressing such violence highlights the need for structural responses. Addressing this issue therefore requires transforming institutional practices and challenging the cultural and epistemological structures that have historically sustained inequality. This study aims to analyze, from a theoretical perspective, the gender gaps, inequalities, challenges, and manifestations of gender-based violence faced by women researchers in STEM fields through a qualitative documentary analysis.