According to the United Nations, in 2016, less than half (45%) of Latin America's workforce in research and development were women. Although this figure is above the world average (38%), it is low compared with graduation rates for women in Latin American countries.
"Their journey in 1938 along the Colorado River was unprecedented, as they faced daunting rapids and uncharted territories, challenging societal norms and misconceptions about women's capabilities in science."
These women were writing for their lives. They were writing because they needed a job. And then they began writing for other people's lives to help save their lives and make their lives better.
Alex James and her colleagues found that as the number of women in a research field increased, both the grant success rates and perceived quality of researchers tended to decrease. This suggests an insidious gender bias within academic disciplines, where fields dominated by women are unfairly viewed as less prestigious.