Mulheres na engenharia civil: proposta de um programa de mentoria para ingressantes na Universidade Federal de Sergipe

Abstract

Despite the increased access of women to higher education, their permanence and academic development in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) continue to be affected by institutional, academic, and sociocultural barriers. In this context, mentoring activities have gained prominence as a strategy to support the retention of women in male-dominated fields such as Civil Engineering. Considering this scenario, the present study addresses the following research question: how can institutional interventions, particularly support programs based on academic mentoring, contribute to the engagement, academic adaptation, and retention of women entering the Civil Engineering program? The study is based on the hypothesis that institutional mentoring programs can promote the engagement, academic adaptation, and retention of female students entering Civil Engineering by strengthening their sense of belonging and expanding support networks within the university environment. Thus, the general objective of this research is to propose and evaluate a mentoring-based support program aimed at women entering the Civil Engineering program at the Federal University of Sergipe (UFS), based on the identification of their main demands, challenges, and support strategies within the university context. The methodological approach was structured into three phases: (1) contextualization and diagnosis of the presence of women in Civil Engineering programs at Federal Higher Education Institutions in Northeast Brazil, based on documentary and statistical data; (2) development of a mentoring-based support program grounded in bibliographic and bibliometric research and in the diagnosis of difficulties reported by incoming students; and (3) pilot implementation and evaluation of the program “Elas por Elas in Civil Engineering,” through the application of initial, monitoring, and final questionnaires, as well as records from meeting journals and direct observation. The evaluation of the pilot program indicates positive perceptions regarding welcoming practices, the strengthening of the sense of belonging, emotional and academic support, and encouragement to remain in the program. The results also show that the main difficulties faced by incoming female students are related to academic adaptation, course overload, the challenge of balancing study, work, and personal life, as well as feelings of insecurity in a predominantly male environment. It is concluded that academic mentoring, as an institutional support strategy, has the potential to act as a mechanism to address dropout and to promote gender equity in Civil Engineering, thereby supporting the retention of women in the field and contributing to the development of more inclusive educational policies in higher education.