Gender Equity in Higher-Education Institutions: An Analysis of Student Perceptions in an Engineering School in Chile

The commitment to gender equity in a higher education institution is justified from an ethical and human rights perspective. Fostering gender equity within professional education enriches the diversity of perspectives and experiences on campus, enhancing academic life and promoting a more inclusive and tolerant environment. In the case of engineering education, which remains highly male-dominated, institutional commitment becomes a priority, enabling the generation of initiatives promoting this inclusive and gender-bias-free environment. All these actions will enhance the quality of learning by fostering critical discussion and a diversity of thought. Therefore, it can be stated that the incorporation of gender equity in professional education contributes to having a positive impact on society. This study analyzes the students' perception of institutional commitment to incorporating gender perspectives in a School of Engineering in Chile. The sample consists of 407 students from various engineering programs within this school, which has the largest enrollment at the national level. To address these objectives, a self-administered questionnaire was employed, adapted, and validated for the context of engineering students in Chile. The questionnaire covers the perception of incorporating gender perspectives in a higher education institution across three dimensions: (1) Institutional sensitivity to gender perspectives, (2) Integration of gender perspectives into the curriculum, and (3) Awareness of gender inequalities in the classroom. The results allow for the characterization of the sample's perception regarding incorporating gender perspectives into their engineering education programs. Furthermore, it is worth noting that statistically significant differences exist between the perceptions of men and women concerning the analyzed dimensions. These findings highlight the importance and the necessity of implementing actions that promote high-quality education free from gender biases.