The researcher was speaking to Lusa on the sidelines of the Meeting Between Women and Girls who Do Science, which took place this Wednesday at the Luanda Science Center, as part of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
"The cultural aspect is extremely important, people are not educated to do certain activities, to go to certain areas of work", she noted.
The professor and researcher at Instituto Superior Técnico Tundavala (Lubango) stated that schools have a responsibility in non-segregation of girls, highlighting that, especially in rural areas, priority is given to boys in accessing schooling.
The Secretary of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Alice Ceita, also said that "there is a lot to be done", to have more women scientists or those attending Higher Education, especially in areas "historically more associated with men", such as Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
In Angola, the percentages of women scientists are similar to international figures – only 3 in ten are women –, despite the efforts being made to change the situation, namely support for training and capacity building through scholarship programs aimed at female students, she highlighted.
Higher education institutions also work with communities "to demystify, among children and girls, the study of mathematics, physics and chemistry", she highlighted.
Doctor Luciana Simões, a specialist in neurology who has developed educational and awareness-raising activities for public health, also participated in the meeting.
According to Luciana Simões, girls are prepared to be caregivers, an aspect that is reflected in future choices in training areas.
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated annually on February 11, is an initiative launched by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2015, with the aim of strengthening global commitment with equal rights between men and women, especially from the point of view of education.
