Gender, coexistence and challenges in accessing masculinized careers at the Salvadoran Lutheran University (ULS)

Abstract

The evident growth of the female enrollment in the Salvadoran Universities, represents an important advance that becomes insufficient "at first sight", insofar as a series of challenges and causal factors that favor gender inequalities in the most preferred careers persist by the male gender. contribute to the medium and long term, in the design of a proposal of professional guidance with a gender focus, aimed at new students of Salvadoran Lutheran University, a to strengthen female participation in traditionally masculinized careers. In methodological terms, a mixed study was designed, given the need for the collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, using three techniques, these being: documentary observation, focused interview and focus group. The participants in the study were teachers, students and coordinators of Bachelor Theology, Computer Science and Agroecological Engineering courses, forming a sample of 27 participants (12 women and 15 men), which were selected through a convenience sampling. Finally, the study indicates among its main findings that although more women study in the ULS (53%), careers such as Bachelor of Theology, Bachelor of Computer Science and Engineering, can still be considered "masculinized careers" since in them, teaching is exercised by more than 90% of men and that out of every 10 students, only 3 turn out to be women.