Formal Education, Women, and Gender in Contemporary Brazil

Abstract

This article investigates the disparity in the situation of women and men in the Brazilian educational system and the international and national goals for equal gender opportunity in education. To this end, it analyzes and interprets educational statistics, the resolutions of international conferences from the 1990s and documents from multilateral, governmental and non-governmental organizations on the subject. It concludes by pointing out the ideological nature of the various interpretations of the data, suggesting the need to expand the theoretical work on this issue.

Education; gender; multilateral organizations; Brazilian government; women's movement; statistical data