Gender and scientific visibility at the Brazilian Congresses of Palliative Care

Abstract

Palliative care constitutes a predominantly feminized field in Brazil, although female presence does not match occupation of leadership and visibility positions. The present study analyzed the sex distribution among invitees of the Brazilian Congresses of Palliative Care in 2022 and 2024 and examined the association between sex and the prestige of the assigned role. It is a quantitative census-based documentary study, with participations classified into three roles ranked by prestige: keynote, lecture, and moderation. The discussion drew on Nancy Fraser's theoretical framework, articulating the dimensions of redistribution, recognition, and representation. An inverse gradient between role prestige and female proportion was observed in both editions, with underrepresentation of women in keynote positions relative to the associative composition of the national entity. Lectures concentrated a female majority that nevertheless fell below the expected level, and moderations adhered to the associative composition. The finding configures a parity failure in the political dimension of justice, expressed in the informal rules that distribute public voice within scientific communities.