As a space for reflection about the role of women at the PUCV and an exchange of experiences to consolidate an equal-opportunity community, the colloquium titled “Women, Rights and Democracy in the University” took place at our Central Headquarters. The event was organized by the Gender Equality Department, within the context of the commemorative activities related to International Women’s Day.
The event brought together faculty, support staff, and students to discuss the challenges of gender equality within the institution. During the dialogue, the need to strengthen female leadership at all levels and move toward a culture of equality that goes beyond mere statistics, directly impacting education and curricula, was emphasized.
Welcoming words were spoken by Claudia Mejías, acting rector, who emphasized that the colloquium allowed to analyze gaps and risks from different points of view. “The advances exist and are tangible. We have brought to light that having an Institutional Gender Equality Policy has been a bastion that has allowed us to establish lines of action around the strategic axes of this policy. In this sense, each axis has qualitative and quantitative development, but the only way in which to move towards substantial equality entails a strong education axis”, she added.
To this regard, Yesika Herrera, Director of Gender Equality, informed that since the second semester of 2025, they have worked together with the Curriculum Development Office with a plan that will capture gender perspective in the university’s curriculum.
“We are developing a series of mechanisms to ensure that education produces professionals who are sensitive to inequalities and, in particular, to the challenges of achieving substantive equality. We have made significant progress in selecting approximately 700 subjects that we are reviewing and evaluating to see how each school has incorporated gender into the curriculum,” Herrera added.
Community Engagement
Current mayor of Valparaíso, Camila Nieto, participated in the closing activity and valued the inclusion of all sectors in the reflection.
“The role of the University is fundamental in advancing the deepening of democracy, and this must be coupled with gender equality and progress towards a society that includes women. The University is important, not only from the point of view of the discussion and the academic input and reflections that can be made, but also how that reflection can be brought together with workers and the educational community in general, including professors and students.”
The conversation panel was moderated by the scholar from the School of Journalism, Soledad Vargas, and welcomed the participation of Valeria Aguilera, president of the PUCV Student Federation; Carla Tureo from the Alberto Hurtado union; Macarena Vauclin from the Interempresas N°1 union; and Claudia Altamirano, scholar from the School of Biochemical Engineering.
Impressions from the community
For those in attendance, these events enriched internal community life. Adela Bork, an academic from the School of Social Work, emphasized the institution's evolution. “I thought it was a wonderful opportunity, and the University's progress regarding gender equality is evident. Feminism has been gradually incorporated into our language and daily lives within the university community. It's a historic date, one where we can leave a lasting legacy.”
Finally, Mirko Peña, student of our History Education program and vice president of the Student Federation, highlighted the importance of this gathering. “For me, it is very important that initiatives like this take place, considering student representation. From a student’s perspective, this event, organized by the Gender Equality Office is highly valuable for the work of the university, for faculty, staff and students”.
By Juan Paulo Roldán
Strategic Communication Department
