Percepción de estudiantes de la Universidad de Cuenca sobre la participación de las mujeres en la política, 2024-2025

Abstract

This research addresses the perceptions of students at the University of Cuenca about women's political participation at the local level, analyzing students from the faculties of Medical Sciences, Jurisprudence and Engineering. It seeks to understand the stereotypes and prejudices that influence their perceptions and how these factors may affect their vision of gender equality in the political sphere. Different types of political participation, the concept of gender as a social construct, gender equality, political and symbolic violence against women are explored. While it is not intended to generalize, it seeks to provide insight into the perception of university students and their role in promoting women's political participation. The problem lies in the fact that, despite advances, women's political participation continues to be low globally and in Latin America. There is a historical inequality of power between men and women in this area, perpetuated by a patriarchal vision that considers men to be better leaders. The university, as an educational space, can have an impact on students' perceptions of politics and the role of women, and therefore it is important to know to what extent this is the case.This research employs a descriptive, exploratory and comparative methodology, since it seeks to obtain an initial understanding of students' attitudes towards women's political participation processes, comparing different career groups. The results of the research will help us to understand the level of information that male and female students have about women's political participation and will show whether cultural factors intervene in the formation of their perceptions. Information will be collected through semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation.