Firma Carta de Apoyo para Vania Figueroa y Karina Bravo. Únete.

Santiago, abril 2019
Señor
Presidente de la República de Chile
Sr. Sebastián Piñera Echeñique
La Moneda

Cc: Sra. Isabel Plá, Ministra de la Mujer y la Equidad de Género

Cc: Sra. Marcela Cubillos, Ministra de Educación

Cc: Sr. Andrés Couve, Ministro de Ciencia, Tecnología, Conocimiento e Innovación

De nuestra consideración:

Nuestras organizaciones nacionales e internacionales adherentes, como también las personas firmantes, denunciamos un grave caso de discriminación por género que ha afectado dramáticamente a dos científicas de la Universidad de O’Higgins, quienes han sido duramente castigadas y expulsadas irregularmente de su trabajo en la universidad, tras denunciar acoso laboral y apoyar públicamente las demandas por mayor igualdad en las universidades

A finales de noviembre 2018, dos neurocientíficas feministas y reconocidas lideresas de la Red de Investigadoras (RedI), la Dra. Karina Bravo y Dra. Vania Figueroa, fueron desvinculadas de la Universidad de O’Higgins, universidad estatal recientemente creada en la región de O’Higgins en el centro-sur de Chile. La situación se produce tras una denuncia de acoso laboral presentada por Karina Bravo y donde Vania Figueroa testificó a su favor. Las razones esgrimidas por la institución fueron evaluaciones de productividad científica y académica. Sin embargo, estas evaluaciones fueron realizadas por quienes estaban acusados en la denuncia interpuesta, a pesar del claro conflicto de interés.

Con fecha 5 de abril, una resolución de Conicyt (Comisión Nacional Científica y Tecnológica de Chile) cierra en forma anticipada Proyecto de Inserción en la Academia (PAI) de la neurocientífica Vania Figueroa con la Universidad de O’Higgins. Dicha Universidad deberá restituir en su totalidad los fondos asignados por incumplir con la obligación de mantener el contrato de la académica por los 36 meses de duración del proyecto. Sin embargo, Vania Figueroa nunca más podrá acceder a este tipo de proyectos nuevamente, afectando gravemente su carrera académica por el incumplimiento de la institución. También ambas investigadoras fueron excluidas arbitrariamente del proyecto de investigación IES 1785 del Ministerio de Educación, que se encuentra en curso y del cual ambas son autoras.

El recurso de protección interpuesto por Karina Bravo, por su despido arbitrario, se encuentra en la Corte Suprema, tras ser rechazado en la Corte de Apelaciones de Rancagua, en la sala presidida por el juez Marcelo Vásquez, actualmente suspendido e investigado por eventual tráfico de influencias por la Corte Suprema.

En resumen, y en los términos más básicos posibles, estamos hablando de dos científicas cuyas vidas profesionales y personales han sido destrozadas por atreverse a denunciar acoso y apoyar a sus compañeras agredidas. Actualmente en las universidades chilenas y en el resto del mundo estamos viviendo un duro momento de reflexión post-“Yo te creo” (“Me too”), cuando muchas mujeres académicas, investigadoras, estudiantes de pre y postgrado y funcionarias empezaron a levantar la voz frente la violencia y el acoso vivido en contextos universitarios. Por lo mismo, el caso de Vania y Karina ha sido rotundamente rechazado y denunciado por la comunidad académica en Chile. Los programas de doctorado de ambas académicas han publicado en medios de prensa cartas de apoyo, además de respetables científicas como la primera latinoamericana en obtener Premio L’Oreal-Unesco Gloria Montenegro.

Frente a esta situación indignante e intolerable, nosotros/as los/as adherentes y firmantes solicitamos a Usted lo siguiente:

Que ud. solicite la renuncia del Rector de la Universidad de O’Higgins Rafael Correa Fontecilla por haber incurrido en notable abandono de sus deberes
Que el Ministerio de Educación inicie investigación de los procedimientos de desvinculación de ambas académicas para determinar las responsabilidades de otras autoridades de la Universidad de O´Higgins
Que el Ministerio de la Mujer y la Equidad de Género patrocine el caso judicial de Karina Bravo y Vania Figueroa, ya que sus desvinculaciones laborales fueron claramente por el acoso que se denunció y constituye un caso de discriminación por género.
Que la Universidad de O’Higgins revoque resolución que dispone la no renovación de contrato de ambas académicas, pida disculpas formales y públicas por la persecución académica y la violencia de género institucional ejercida en su contra.
Que el Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología, Conocimiento e Innovación reforme los programas e instrumentos destinados a promover, fomentar y desarrollar la investigación en todas las áreas del conocimiento de la futura Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo que reemplazará Conicyt, de modo que incluya cláusulas de protección a las y los investigadores en caso de incumplimiento de las instituciones y sanciones a las mismas. Este proceso de reforma debe contemplar participación de la sociedad civil y el Ministerio de la Mujer y la Equidad de Género.

El Gobierno de Chile ha declarado en múltiples ocasiones su compromiso con el desarrollo de la Ciencia, Tecnología, Conocimiento e Innovación, así como también con avanzar en materias de Igualdad de Género, creemos que este lamentable caso es un gran oportunidad para materializar la coherencia entre el discurso y la acción.

Esperando pueda usted comprender y atender la gravedad de estos hechos, le saludamos cordialmente.

English Version of Text

The following national and international organizations that adhere to this declaration, as well as the individuals that sign below, come together to make a formal complaint concerning a very serious case of gender discrimination that has dramatically affected two scientists at the Universidad de O´Higgins, Vania Figueroa and Karina Bravo. Both Figueroa and Bravo have been unfairly punished and irregularly terminated from their academic positions in the university, after filing a complaint about workplace harassment and publicly supporting demands for greater gender equality in the university.

At the end of November 2018, Dr. Karina Bravo and Dr. Vania Figueroa, two well-known feminist neuroscientists and leaders of the group, Network of Female Researchers (RedI), were informed of their expulsion from the Universidad de O´Higgins, a new regional state university in the center-south of Chile. This is directly related to a formal complaint of workplace harassment, filed by Karina Bravo at her university, and in which Vania Figueroa testified on her behalf. The supposed reasons given by the university for firing Bravo and Figueroa were “a lack of scientific and academic productivity”. However, their productivity evaluations were done by the very academics that had been denounced for harassment, which is clearly a conflict of interest.

Additionally, Dr. Vania Figueroa was working at the university at part of a national grant project that seeks to insert brilliant new scientific talent in research universities (called PAI projects and administered through the Chilean research institution, Conicyt). On April 5, 2019, a Conicyt resolution formally ended Figueroa´s PAI project, instructing the Universidad de O´Higgins to refund to Conicyt the complete amount of this PAI project, as they will not be completing Figueroa´s 36 months of research work, as the contract stipulated. This decision on the part of Conicyt also unfairly punishes Figueroa, since Conicyt sees this as an “incompletion” (not taking into account the gender discrimination at play) and, thereby, banning Figueroa from applying to any future Conicyt projects, which essentially signals the death of her research future in Chile. Additionally, Bravo and Figueroa were also arbitrarily fired from the Ministry of Education´s IES 1785 research project, which is being carried out at their former university, in which both were co-lead researchers.

In the past few months, Karina Bravo has been stymied in her quest for justice, as her case of “arbitrary firing”, taken to the courts, was rejected by the Appellate Court of Rancagua, by a judge currently being investigated for corruption charges (in relation to other cases). Her case is now being debated by the Supreme Court of Chile, but for the time being Bravo has seen no restitution.

In summary, and in the most simple, concrete terms possible, we are talking about two female scientists whose professional and personal lives have been destroyed because they dared to speak out about harassment and support their aggrieved colleagues. In universities in Chile and throughout the world we are having an important moment of reflection, bolstered by the “Me too” (“Yo te creo”) moment. Many female academics, researchers, undergraduate and postgraduate students, and university employees have only recently begun to raise their voices and call out the harassment and violence present at our universities. For this same reason, the case of Vania and Karina has been energetically denounced by the Chilean academic community. Members of their postgraduate communities have published open letters in support of them in major Chilean newspapers, as well as there being explicit support from the first Latin American woman scientist to win the L´Oreal-Unesco Prize, Gloria Montenegro. However, in spite of widespread support, Vania and Karina continue to suffer academic blacklisting on the part of their former university and Conicyt.

Due to this intolerable situation, we the adhering organizations and individuals who sign this document, demand the following:

That the provost of the Universidad de O´Higgins, Rafael Correa Fontecilla, be forced to resign due to his direct participation in this situation, and his notable abandonment of the higher academic calling to which any provost should be dedicated.
That the Chilean Ministry of Education initiate an investigation into the firing proceedings of both academics, in order to determine the specific persons responsable, and their actions, in the Universidad de O´Higgins.
That the Chilean Ministry of Women and Gender Equality legally takes part in Karina Bravo and Vania Figueroa´s court cases, since their firings were clearly due to a complaint over harassment and constitute a case of gender discrimination.
That the Universidad de O´Higgins formally rescinds the resolution that allowed for the non-renewal of these academics´ work contracts and also issues a public and formal apology for the manner in which the institution persecuted and used institutional gender violence against Figueroa and Bravo.
That the Chilean Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation reform, from a gendered perspective, the programs and instruments used in order to promote and develop research in all academic areas in the future National Investigation and Development Agency (that will be replacing Conicyt). These reforms should include protective clauses for researchers in the case of their institutions being sanctioned for not complying with binding norms and laws. Relevant civil society organizations, as well as the Ministry of Women and Gender Equality, should play a role in this process of proposing and implementing reforms.

The Chilean government, on multiple occasions, has formally declared its commitment to developing science, technology, knowledge, and innovation, as well as advancing in matters related to gender equality. We believe that the unfortunate case of Dr. Karina Bravo and Dr. Vania Figueroa is an excellent opportunity for the state to effectively put into practice the beliefs that they have vocally supported.

We hope that you, or your organization, also sees the gravity of this situation and will help us to make it more visible, in this manner, pressuring the Chilean state and the Universidad de O´Higgins in order to obtain some measure of justice and reparation for Karina and Vania.

Firma aquí: https://forms.gle/onbszZCcQ9PcP8GM7