Gender Equality Commission
The Second Seminar “Mainstreaming the Gender Perspective in Higher Education: Articulating Training Processes with Equity Criteria,” organized by the CRUCH Gender Equality Commission, was held at PUCV. The event brought together approximately 230 people and reached over 350 views, thanks to its broadcast on the university's channel, allowing the discussion and lessons learned to reach an even wider audience.
With the participation of representatives from universities of the Council of Rectors and Rectors of Chilean Universities, the II Seminar “Mainstreaming the gender perspective in higher education: Articulation of training processes with equity criteria” was held on Thursday, August 28, at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso.
The activity, organized by the CRUCH Gender Equality Commission and the CRUV Gender Equality Commission, together with PUCV as the host university, brought together authorities and teams of professionals from the Student Directorates, Quality Assurance, Directorates and Gender Units of different educational institutions in the country.
This second meeting aimed to create a space for reflection on policies and curricular elements that allow for the incorporation of a gender perspective into educational processes, promoting more inclusive and equitable universities. The first seminar, “Mainstreaming the Gender Perspective in Higher Education Educational Processes,» held at Diego Portales University in October 2024, focused on sharing experiences, opportunities, and proposals from universities.
The activity brought together about 230 people from different institutions and was broadcast through the PUCV YouTube channel, reaching more than 350 views, which allowed the discussion and learning to reach an even wider audience.
The day began with a greeting from the Academic Vice-Rector of PUCV, Claudia Mejías, who highlighted the importance of this meeting and the university's commitment to gender equality. "For the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, it is an honor to host this seminar, which invites us to reflect on and advance the mainstreaming of a gender perspective in higher education, an institutional and ethical commitment to building more just and inclusive academic communities," she stated.
In this way, a video greeting was also presented from Rector Marisol Durán, a member of the CRUCH Gender Equality Commission, who thanked PUCV and CRUCH for
She welcomed the seminar and highlighted the commission's purpose. “I thank the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso and CRUCH for hosting this seminar. Our goal is to consolidate the gender perspective as a quality standard in higher education, incorporating it comprehensively and sustainably into management, curriculum, and teaching.”
For her part, Angélica Marín, coordinator of the CRUCH Gender Equality Commission, officially presented the seminar and highlighted the importance of coordinating efforts among universities to advance equity criteria. “Since its inception, the commission has worked to eliminate sexism in educational spaces, and this seminar opens a space for reflection on policies, curriculum, and training processes, sharing experiences and strengthening tools to incorporate a gender perspective in a sustainable way in our universities,” she stated.
Yesika Herrera, Director of Gender Equity at PUCV and a member of the CRUCH Commission's Training component, presented the findings and agreements from the previous seminar, emphasizing the importance of continuing this collaborative work. “We are very pleased to hold this second seminar, which reflects the sustained effort of the training and research component to advance the mainstreaming of a gender perspective. This forum allows us to exchange experiences, learn from each other at universities, and strengthen the integration of a gender perspective into undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs,” she stated.
The event began with the lecture “What Knowledge Counts?: Gender and Education at the University,” presented by Ana Luisa Muñoz, a professor at the Faculty of Education of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Following this presentation, two panel discussions took place. The first, “Curriculum and Gender,” brought together experts in curriculum development and teaching; while the second, “Gender and Equity Criteria,” included representatives from the National Accreditation Commission, the CRUCH Quality Commission, and the CRUV.
During the afternoon session, the working groups addressed the challenges of mainstreaming a gender perspective in training and accreditation processes. The day concluded with a plenary session in which the main conclusions and reflections were shared.
The closing remarks were delivered by Diana Kiss, who thanked all those present for their participation and emphasized the importance of maintaining this collective effort. “This work is essential and increasingly challenges us to advance equality and diversity in our universities. We especially value the collaboration of universities both within the CRUCH (Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities) and from outside the university community, and we thank the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso for hosting us in this symbolic and historic space, which has provided the perfect setting to reconnect, build networks, and plan future collaborative work in support of gender equity,” she concluded.
View the seminar HERE
Text and photographs: Communications Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso
Edition: CRUCH Communications
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