Many studies demonstrate that women are underrepresented in academia, especially in leadership roles [1, 2]. Among the different aspects that can be considered [3], gendered experiences have been shown in the literature to be a critical issue to tackle [4].

Gendered experiences are work experiences in which women feel assaulted, undervalued or belittled. Examples of gendered experiences include, among others, unwanted physical attention, subtle putdowns, questioning competence, attention to appearance, the mommy track, or housekeeping chores [4]. Gendered experiences contribute to creating a chilly climate [5] and hurt women’s self-esteem [6], two issues affecting their possibilities of promotion. Gendered experiences usually hide second-generation discrimination, which is not explicitly exerted and is deeply rooted in cultural assumptions and behaviours. Agressors are not necessarily conscious of the damage they inflict on others. In some cases, they even perceive themselves as helpful. Consequently, this kind of second-generation discrimination is more difficult to deal with, as the first issue is to raise awareness about its existence and the negative impact it can have on women’s careers and in the working environment. This is precisely the goal of the workshop on gendered experiences developed within the context of the «Mujer and Tecnología» chair.

Workshop Gendered experiences in academia: raising awareness and empathy towards a more inclusive working environment

This hands-on workshop starts by reviewing some gendered experiences, drawing on real-life examples from the literature and the results of previous workshops, analysing the scenarios and the emotions involved in the experiences.

Participants will then engage in a card game to promote reflection and discussion. The cards have been developed by the presenter and include some identified stereotypes of «gender aggressors» and typical scenarios of real gendered experiences. Blank cards are also provided to give more freedom to multi-cultural and heterogeneous participants who can discuss their own experiences. Thus, through discussion and exploration, groups are encouraged to identify new stereotypes and scenarios, and to share firsthand experiences. At the end, all the groups share their scenarios and discuss the feelings that arose when talking about them. In previous workshops, the participation of people from diverse genders and backgrounds in academia has enriched the discussion, providing more points of view and nuances. This heterogeneity helps raise awareness of hidden discriminatory behaviours and may contribute to fostering the required empathy to prevent them

Workshop attendees will:

• learn about what gendered experiences are and their impact on aspects like women’s self-esteem or promotion, as well as on the inclusiveness of the working environment

• develop a deeper understanding and awareness of these experiences by taking part in a cards game about gendered experiences that engages groups in analysing also the feelings of those involved in this kind of second-generation discrimination, so that empathy is also increased.

 References cited in the text

[1] European Commission and Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. She figures 2024: gender in research and innovation: statistics and indicators. Publications Office, 2024.

[2] Sophia Huyer. Is the gender gap narrowing in science and engineering? Technical report, UNESCO, 2022.

[3] Brenda Murphy, Carla Teixeira Lopes, Emanuela Merelli, Mara Gabriela Diaconu, Marie Gallais, Paloma Diaz, Paula Alexandra Silva, Petroula Mavrikiou, Silvia Ghilezan, and Steve Kremer (2024). Good practices for improving gender balance and diversity throughout the academic career. EUGAIN Handbook. In press.

[4] Mary F. Theofanos, Sandra Spickard Prettyman, Jasmine Evans, and Susanne Furman.Voices of NIST: A study of gender and inclusivity. findings from in-depth interviews. NIST Technical Note 2143, 2021.

[5] Dana M. Britton. Beyond the chilly climate: The salience of gender in women’s academic careers. Gender & Society, 31(1):5-27, 2017.

[6] Tessie H.H. Herbst. Gender differences in self-perception accuracy: The confidence gap and women leaders’ underrepresentation in academia. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 46(0), 2020

 Worshop editions

• IV and V “Congreso sobre Tecnologías I+D+i para la igualdad: Soluciones, perspectivas y retos” in April 2024 and 2025,
• INSPIRA program event at the University of Coimbra (April 22nd, 2025)
• WEEF 2026, Daegu, Korea, September 11th, 2025
• Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, November 13th, 2025

Cátedra Universidad Carlos III de Madrid – Telefónica