Rector Natacha Pino: “Reducing the gender gap is good for us and is very necessary”

The head of the University of Aysén and the person in charge of the Gender Equality Commission of the Council of Rectors reflects on the work of the body and its impact within educational spaces.

Regarding the presence of female academics in positions of high responsibility, Natacha Pino states that it is important that "university communities themselves allow themselves to be led by women.".

Natacha Pino Acuña is an Industrial Civil Engineer at the University of La Frontera and in 2019 became the first academic in Chile to be elected rector of the University of Aysén, joining the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) in September of that year.

Rector Pino was the fourth rector to join CRUCH. Before her was Mónica Jiménez, rector of the Catholic University of Temuco; and from the same University of Aysén, Roxana Pey and Teresa Marshall preceded her, having been appointed to the position during the university's establishment process, created by law in 2015.

Today, Pino is also vice president of the Association of Regional Universities (AUR) - becoming the first woman to be part of the board - and a member of the Network of Researchers of Chile (RedI).

At CRUCH, she is the rector in charge of the Gender Equality Commission, an instance that was created in 2018, following the feminist mobilizations that took place in several universities of the Council.

Regarding the commission, made up of the gender directors from the universities, the university authority states that it is “a significant experience of understanding and working together.” On the one hand, it represents an opportunity to “learn from the directors themselves how gender issues are addressed, implemented, and demanded in each of our universities. In this way, the commission, through its various lines of work, provides guidance and develops activities that contribute to progress in these areas.”.

Pino also maintains that “knowing these realities allows us to better convey to the rectors of the Council how necessary and urgent it is to take charge of these issues and promote, from our role, the necessary actions, supporting our teams.”.

The rector of the University of Aysén values this space that allows "raising topics of interest and from that space seeking support for particular initiatives that often require uniting criteria and wills, recognizing ourselves as diverse institutions but all committed to the same goal: to build universities committed to gender equality, non-discrimination and the eradication of violence.".

It is worth noting that a few months ago, the working group led by Natacha Pino presented before the Commission on Knowledge Systems, Cultures, Science, Technology, Arts and Heritage of the Constitutional Convention, on which occasion a proposal was put forward outlining the main aspects that should be considered in this area in the new Magna Carta.

To convene more closely

During 2021 The rectors of the Metropolitan Technological University (UTEM), Marisol Durán Santis, and of the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences (UMCE), Elisa Araya Cortez, joined the CRUCH.. Both were pioneers in their respective academic institutions and achieved rectorships with high levels of support.

According to Rector Pino, “having three female rectors is undoubtedly an achievement and a step forward in university spaces, but the fact that this is happening is also a true reflection of what is happening in society today. We have witnessed the emergence of new leadership at all levels; women have been appearing in positions of high responsibility, such as elected positions; we have a gender parity agreement, and our universities are increasingly becoming part of these changes as well.”.

Regarding how to get more women into positions of high responsibility within educational institutions, the authority from the University of Aysén suggests that one way to contribute “has to do with the support that we can provide, those of us who are already in a position of leadership and decision-making, in a space of power, generating from there opportunities for conversation, sharing experiences with those women who feel that it is possible to advance on that path and making visible to our university communities that these changes are possible.”.

Natacha Pino states that a change in perspective is also needed, and that “university communities themselves must allow themselves to be led by women. There is still a lot of prejudice, and it is believed that women are not capable of assuming positions of high responsibility, that it is difficult for us to balance family life and work, or that we do not have the character or strength to do so. But I invite you to open yourselves to this possibility: those of us who are rectors and leaders of universities believe that it is time to engage with our communities in a more personal, direct, transparent, and above all, humane way.”.

Equal educational spaces

Beyond increasing women's access to leadership positions, it is necessary to democratize all aspects of community life. "Reducing these gaps is beneficial and essential," says the rector of the University of Aysén, adding that "these gaps manifest themselves in many areas of our daily university life, and it is important to learn to recognize them and, above all, to take action to move towards more equitable educational spaces.".

Natacha Pino explains that this work requires breaking down stereotypes and advancing in the search for equal opportunities through actions that contribute to making the training process more flexible for students who are mothers and/or fathers; implementing the necessary conditions to better reconcile family and work life or reducing the wage gap.

“If we manage to move forward in this direction, we will be contributing to a more equitable educational environment and creating a workplace that takes care of everyone,” says Pino.

*Photo: University of Aysén