A maternidade no contexto acadêmico: uma análise a partir das pesquisas acadêmicas no Brasil no período de 2019 a 2024

Abstract

This article aims to understand whether and how motherhood has been discussed in the Brazilian academic context between 2019 and 2024. The study emerged from the personal experience of one of the authors as a mother and a Pedagogy undergraduate student, as well as from the observation of the difficulties faced by other student-mothers in higher education. Among the main challenges is balancing childcare responsibilities with academic demands. Methodologically, this is a qualitative study developed through a meta-research based on academic works addressing motherhood in Higher Education, available in the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) database. The analysis revealed a significant gap in studies that address motherhood as a central theme in university education, in addition to the persistence of structural, cultural, and institutional barriers that hinder the permanence and well-being of student-mothers. The findings highlight the need to expand debates on gender, motherhood, and care in Higher Education, as well as to promote institutional policies that foster inclusion, support, and retention of student-mothers. It is concluded that recognizing and valuing the presence of student-mothers in universities is essential for building a more just, democratic, and gender-equitable education system.