Gender gaps in academic performance in brazil's online higher education: the case of women in male-dominated fields

Diplôme Master Gender gaps in academic performance in brazil's online higher education: the case of women in male-dominated fields eng 2025-08-27 author Benelli Amin Maria Julia 411533 director Nikiforos Michalis 0000-0003-1477-7593 948057 Service enseignement, recherche, administratif et technique (SdS) (SCSPS) 83 Despite progress in gender equality, women in Brazil remain underrepresented and underperform in male-dominated academic areas, especially STEM fields. This thesis aims to address a gap in literature originated by the fast and disorganized growth of online higher education in the country — a circumstance frequently ignored by existing research — by answering two questions. First, how do women perform academically in online universities, particularly in fields of study where they represent a gender minority, such as STEM? Second, what is the socioeconomic and racial profile of women applying to online universities, again in areas where they are underepresented? These two questions are addressed using microdata from the Brazilian National Assessment of Student Performance (ENADE). Findings show women in online programs are older, have a challenging financial situation, and frequently balance work, education and family responsibilities. Academically, they score lower than online male students and than both genders in traditional in-person education, highlighting a significant performance gap. These results suggest that while virtual learning increases education access for disadvantaged women, it also risks deepening inequalities due to lower educational quality and structural challenges. Addressing these disparities is essential to achieving true gender equality in male dominated academic fields. Academic Performance Brazil's Online Higher Education Women in Male-Dominated Fields Gender Gaps Brazil STEM ENADE Dewey 330 Dewey 330.9 Master in Political Economy of Capitalism 193 Institut d'histoire économique Paul Bairoch TE 123 Département d'histoire, économie et société T5 false 49b2aa73-992b-414e-9151-9d3bf12efce0 Master thesis Public Final_Thesis_2_-_Benelli_Amin_(2).pdf 2470615 application/pdf eb5232197b0b3daecf169af7483e049636b49cdfc052358612f5511639fb3902 openAccess Faculté des sciences de la société / Institut d'histoire économique Paul Bairoch Faculté des sciences de la société / Département d'histoire, économie et société

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Gender gaps in academic performance in brazil's online higher education: the case of women in male-dominated fields				2025	67	1,398

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Benelli Amin, Maria Julia